The Road Ahead
by mykaroni412
Summary: Post Lady Knight. Kel's life after she rescued her people from Blayce. Her new duties, new losses and new lovers. The last chapter has been completely changed! Be sure to read it!
1. Old Friends

Hey guys. I started this story a while ago and never really got a chance to do anything with it. Then the whole drama of school reared its ugly head and then I was so swamped I REALLY didn't have any time for it. Now that I'm getting that whole thing under control, I've gotten back into the whole fan fiction thing. I've been reading a lot of Tamora Pierce fics and I realized I kind of missed my own, so here it is. I'll try and update the story every Tuesday. I might be a day or two off, because of school and what not, but I'm really hoping I'll be able to get one up a week. Anyway, I really hope you guys like my story and PLEASE review. It makes me happy.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people or much else for that matter. I'm just not that special. All characters and that fun stuff are all owned by the amazing Tamora Pierce.

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Keladry of Mindelan sighed as fat drops of rain began to fall on her and her horse, Peachblossom. The company of men was grumbling with her as they walked though the muddy forest and onto the road. Kel agreed with the general consensus that the faster they got to Fort Steadfast the better. Aside from the rain, she was eager to be on her way to see Raoul and Buri. She couldn't wait to congratulate them on their betrothal in person. Whether she admitted it to herself or not, she was excited to see Dom as well. He, along with the rest of Third Company, would be at the fort for the wedding. Seeing the look on her face, her best friend Neal nudged his gelding into a canter and smirked as he slowed beside her, "Thinking about a certain cousin of mine?"

As Kel came out of her pensive state, her gaze flicked up to look at Neal. Surely he was jesting. There was no way he could know what she was thinking about, even if she knew _who_ she was thinking about. She tried to remain calm, hiding her feelings behind what little remained of her Yamani mask. She tried to adopt an indifferent look, fixing her gaze forward, trying very hard to ignore Neal. She could tell she was failing miserably by the look on Neal's face.

"Very funny. I was actually thinking about Raoul and Buri's wedding." She shifted in her saddle.

Neal arched an eyebrow before returned to the road ahead. "I see."

Although there was no proof, he had been thinking for some time that both Kel and Dom were simply stupid, both liking the other and being too absorbed in their own dumb feelings to realize those of the other. He'd wanted to say something for awhile, but whenever he brought it up, one of the women he was around, either his betrothed Yukimi, or his ex-knight-mistress Lady Alanna, would tell him sternly that it was none of his business and that the two lovebirds had to figure it out on their own. He always accepted defeat when it came to this, because he knew both women would hurt him, or as Alana had put it 'shove his severed arm so far up where the sun don't shine that he could smack himself in the face so she wouldn't have to lower herself to his dumbass level'., if he said anything to either Kel or Dom.

Suddenly he sat up in his saddle, eyes straining as he tried to see something in the distance. He let out a whoop and kicked his gelding into a gallop. Bending low over his mount's mane, he urged him towards the fort on the horizon.

Kel chuckled quietly to herself, remaining at the same steady trot they had been at for the last half hour, though she wanted to gallop towards Steadfast just as much as Neal did. She wouldn't want anyone, especially not Neal, to suspect why she wanted so badly to get to the fort.

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The man Kel and Neal had been discussing moments before ran up to the ramparts and the towards the watch tower as he heard shouts. He took the stairs two at a time, nearly knocking a few men off as he rushed passed them, half dragging himself up by the railings. He stopped to breathe at the top of the stairs, his palms on his knees, before he looked up. He ran his fingers through his hair and jogged along the wall. Seeing a knot of men looking out over the land, he headed towards them, pulling out his spy glass as he went. He put it to his eye, smiling as he saw the chestnut form streak through the forest. He followed the path behind who he knew was Neal to find a squad or two of mixed knights, foot soldiers and Riders. He pocketed his spy glass, a broad grin spreading over his face, as he broke free of the knot of men. He half threw himself down the stairs to the ground level, sprinting towards the gates as he heard them creek open to allow Neal inside.

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As Neal dismounted, Dom came striding towards him, smiling. Neal handed off his big gelding to a hostler and went to hug his cousin. He snorted with laughter at the slightly embarrassed expression on Dom's face. "Where are Kel and the rest of them?"

Neal didn't even try to restrain the laughter that burst out of him. Seeing the confused looking on Dom's face, he shook his head. "She's coming in a minute, Dom. Don't wet yourself." He stuck his tongue out at his cousin before turning around as he heard a shriek behind him. He groaned as a fast moving multi-colored form slammed into him, knocking the wind from his lungs. For a moment, he was completely confused as to what was going on, but quickly registered that the person was Yuki, his betrothed. He hugged her, and was then led off towards their rooms, chuckling as Yuki chattered incessantly. He made a face at Dom, who was laughing hysterically at him.

The creaking and groaning of the fort doors brought him back to reality, looking up just in time to see Kel and her company ride through the closing gates. "Kel!" His smile broadened as he walked over, giving Kel a big hug as soon as she had dismounted. She was slightly surprised to be greeted so quickly from Dom, but she couldn't complain. She stepped back and smiled at him happily. "Surprised to see me?" She handed her mare Hoshi off to a hostler and her big gelding to her servant Tobe, afraid the temperamental horse would bite someone. She smiled up at Dom as Tobe and the hostler led Peachblossom and Hoshi away.

"Not really. My lord said you were arriving some time today." He laughed as her face fell, then led her off. "Can show you where your rooms are and then around the fort. And I think my lord wants to talk to you. He mentioned something about dress fittings." He guffawed at the horrified look on her expression.

She hit him, hard, on the arm and made a face. He rubbed his arm, pouting slightly as he looked at her. "I think I need to discuss this dress fitting with our dear _commander_."

"That _hurt_."

"Good."

She rolled her eyes and followed him as he led him towards her rooms, glad to be back with her friends again.

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Sorry this chapter is so short guys, but hopefully my muse will be able to whip up some longer ones. Anyway, like I said, hopefully by next Tuesday I can get Chapter 2 up. I know that would make you all very hunky dory. Yes, I really just said hunky dory. Criticism is fine, just don't be nasty about it. \ Anyway, see that little scroll box down there? Put it on review. See that little button that says go, click on it. You know you want to. And remember to stay crunchy, even in milk. But not crunchy milk, because that would just be weird.


	2. The Horror of Fittings

Guess what guys, it's TUESDAY! Anyway, I've had a week of saving my friend's boyfriend from this other girl, flipping out on my ex-boyfriend for being totally RETARDED and the wonderful world of getting a new iPod. That combined with school and riding (horse-back riding by the way, it's my thing). It's all very exciting. lol Anyway, we all know I LOVE reviews and I hope you guys enjoy reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't even own myself… enough said. (And the sad thing is I don't even own this disclaimer….)

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Kel knocked Dom to the ground and pointed the tip of her sword at his throat. He put up his hands in surrender and took the offered help of getting up. "I forgot how _fast_ you are." He dusted off the back of his breaches and smiled at Kel as he bent down to pick up his dropped sword.

She smirked and sheathed her own sword. "Why do you think Neal refuses to fence with me now?" She wiped away the sweat that was trickling down her forehead. "Besides the fact that he's afraid of getting his ass kicked…"

She glanced up as she saw Neal walking towards them, a definite spring in his step. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him, knowing what news he had could not be good for her, it being Neal and all.

He stopped in front of her, a sly smirk on his face. "My lord wants to see you. He said something about his wedding and you and a dress and fittings or something like that."

"Oh fuck."

Kel glared at him and made a rather rude gesture, walking towards Lord Raoul's office, though not before punching Neal hard in the arm. She rolled her eyes and she heard his pathetic squeal, much like the ladies of the Court made when seeing a mouse, and stalked off.

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Not even bothering to knock on the door, Kel barged into the office and glared at him, arms crossed. When Raoul opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off. "If you even _think_ you can get me to wear a dress to your wedding you must be joking. And I _refuse_ to sit still for hours while some annoying maids pin here and sew there. Either I go in breaches or I'm not going!"

"Kel, you wouldn't be sitting. You need to stand for a fitting."

He jumped out of her range as he rolled his eyes at her outburst, though the wicked gleam never left his them. "But I'm not the one who insisted on this. Her Majesty specifically told you me _must_ wear a dress and you _must_ come to a fitting this afternoon. Where it up to me, I'd let you go in breeches, but this is…. out of my hands." Despite his best efforts he was now grinning broadly.

Kel let out a frustrated grunt before storming out. Raoul knew as well as Kel did that she would not ignore a royal command, no matter how much she wanted to. She hid in her room for as long as possible before heading towards the Queen's chambers, looking rather dejected.

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Kel emerged from Thayet's rooms hours later. Looking absolutely furious, she stalked about the fort, trying to find Raoul but failing miserably. She began to suspect that he was hiding from her and gave up with an annoyed sigh. Heading down to the mess hall, she found Dom, Neal, Merric and a few of her other friends eating. Seeing the expression on her face, they all adopted a meek demeanor and stared avidly into their bowls. Only Dom was brave enough to look at her and even then he was more careful than normal when talking to her.

"So…. Um….. How did it go?" He winced as the question left his mouth, realizing the stupidity of asking her something like that right now.

She glared at him for a moment, trying to grasp onto the last remaining fragments of her Yamani mask before completely giving up. "How do you _think_ it went? It was _horrible_. All those meek, quiet, annoying, little maids pinching and tweaking and poking with pins and ropes and knots and gods only know what else!" She glared at him before turning to look at Neal. "If you put your nose any deeper into that bowl you're going to need a snorkel."

He pulled his head up with a careful glance at Kel before wiping a small spot of food off his nose.

"And eat your vegetables."

Not wanting to mess with Kel when she was clearly pissed off, he meekly ate his now cold vegetables.

With a cross expression on her face, she loudly dumped food onto her plate and began eating more viciously, glaring at those around her as she did. One by one the men made their excuses until only she and Dom where left, who was treating her like a bomb that might go off at any second.

Tired of everyone staring at her, she got up, and put away her dishes, heading to her room, a path forming between the mass of men as they all hurried to get out of her way.

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Hours later, Dom knocked softly on Kel's door, nervous that she would still be as pissed off as she had been earlier. He stepped back as the door opened and looked at a very tense Kel, unsheathed sword in her hand. "That bad, huh?"

"Let's put it this way, do _you_ want strange maids poking you with pins and making you take off your clothes and pinching you all the time?" She sat down on her bed and motioned for him to do the same.

"Yes, yes I would." He shied away from her as she glared, clearly still furious and making it obvious that his comments weren't making it any better.

"I'm just glad it's over. I told them I was only going through that once which was why it took so long. Did I mention I _hate_ fittings?"

"Once or twice." He got up and offered her his hand. "Come on, let's go down to dinner. Raoul's bound to be down there and, at the very least, you can yell at him for making you go." He laughed as her face lit up and followed her out of the room and, down to the mess hall.

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Between patrolling, fencing with everyone except Neal and practicing her pattern dances in the mornings, the next week passed by quickly for Kel. Before she knew it, she was being shoved back into that dress and forced to sit still while Thayet, Buri, Lalasa and one of Thayet's maids did Kel's hair and face paint for the wedding. Although she was not happy to be wearing a dress this uncomfortable, she couldn't help but agree with them when they told her she looked beautiful. She thought the front was slightly too low, but she liked the open back and deep green color, so she said nothing about the things she didn't like.

During the ceremony, she sat with her friends, shifting constantly because there were only a few ways the dress would allow her to sit comfortably. During the party after the wedding, even Kel, who drank liquor little if at all, downed quite a few glasses of wine and was giggling hysterically for most of the night.

When she finally made her way back to her rooms, she stayed awake just long enough to change before she flopped down on her bed and instantly fell asleep.

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While I love anyone that read my story, I EXTRA love the people that review.

**Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007**: Lots of enthusiasm. Lol I'm glad you like the story and the pairing.

**The Inebriated Lion-Minion**: Hopefully the rest of it will be good as well.

**Em X**: Again, lots of enthusiasm. Lol Anyway, I'm really glad you like it so much and, since you were so excited about it, I hope you liked this chapter as much as the last one.

**Rukie**: Oh trust me, I am VERY much aware that I'm an odd ball. And yay for liking my story.

Anyway, If you guys want to feel all special, you should review and I'll put your names on my next chapter like I did for these nice people. Lol I really hope you guys liked this chapter as much as the last and remember to stay crunchy, even in milk, but not crunchy milk, because that's just weird.


	3. Visit from Death

So yeah, I decided to go a little Buffy: The Vampire Slayer on you with the title, but deal. It's a good show. Anyway, starting next week, I'll be tutoring younger kids and hopefully volunteering at a therapeutic riding center, so, for future reference, if I start to be a day late or so, don't kill me. I already have the next chapter or two typed up, so it should be all set, but I just wanted to say that to make sure. Anyway, I really hope you like the story and PLEASE review!

Disclaimer: Ok, so I guess I do own myself…. And maybe the basic story line.

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Light seared in through the window of Kel's room, falling across her face. With a groan, she rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head. Usually she was up at dawn, but after last night, she would be lucky if she ever got out of bed again. She was only allowed to sleep for another few minutes before someone knocked loudly on her door. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she shuffled over to the door, throwing it open and glaring at an overly cheerful Neal. "Go….away…….."

He pouted, acting for all the world as if he was hurt by her words. "I figured you'd need something for that terrible hangover you seem to have.'

She punched him weakly on the arm before stumbling her way into the privy. She glanced at herself in the mirror over the sink and winced. Not only did she have horrible bed head, the face paint that she hadn't had enough energy to take off last night was smeared around her eyes, making her resemble a raccoon. She washed her face and returned to her room, glaring at Neal before throwing herself on the bed. "I feel like I was struck by lightning after the wagon ran me over."

He smiled sympathetically and placed a hand over her head, a deep green light dancing between his hand and her head.

She sat up when he was done, feeling much better than she had before. "Thanks…" She shooed him out of the room, so she could get dressed. Slowly she pulled on clothes and dragged a brush through her hair. After making sure the door was locked behind her, she followed him down to the mess.

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She ate lightly during breakfast. For once, she would have skipped eating entirely if Neal hadn't been standing over her. As soon as Neal turned to get some food of his own, she dropped off her tray and ran out of the mess, heading towards the stable. After grooming Hoshi, she moved on to Peachblossom.

Just as she had predicted, Neal came bursting into the stables. He turned to follow her into the stall, then jumped back as Peachblossom's teeth sank into his arm. He squealed and pulled away. "Kel! That beast of yours just bit me!"

Kel just laughed as he stood in front of the stall, a good distance away from Peachblossom, and rubbed his arm.

"Come on Kel, you really should eat something."

"Ok. I'll eat if you come in and make me." She crossed her arms and looked at him, knowing he'd as soon walk into an enemy camp.

He glared at her for a moment before grunting and storming off.

Kel laughed to herself for a moment before she noticed a shadow had fallen across her face. She looked up to see Dom leaning against the stall door, though keeping a watchful eye on Peachblossom.

"Was that my dear cousin Meathead screeching like a Court lady?"

"Yes it was." Kel nodded and chuckled. When Daine, the Wild Mage, had talked to Peachblossom, she had asked why he liked to bite Neal so much. His response had been that he liked the reaction and the sounds Neal made. Kel always found this answer very amusing.

"He seemed to think I would simply go with him if he stood there and glared at me. Peachblossom decided he needed to be taken down a notch." She patted her big gelding's flank before looking up at Dom. Her stomach flipped over as he smiled at her, so she returned to her grooming, staring avidly at the brush in her hand.

"I knew there was a reason I liked Peachblossom so much." He reached over to pat the big gelding, snatching his hand back as the big gelding's teeth slammed shut on open air. "I see…. Testy pony."

"You probably remind him of Neal." She laughed and closed the door behind her as she left. "Neal is his favorite person to bite." She looked up as a messenger hurried towards her, a letter with the Mindelan seal clutched in his hand.

"My lady, a letter for you." He handed her the letter before bowing and walking off.

Kel glanced down at the letter before smiling apologetically to Dom. "I really have to go. This is probably from my mother and I should get to it now before I'm buried under a mountain of paper work." She waved to Dom and jogged out of the stable. "I'll see you at dinner!"

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Hours later, when dinner had come and gone and Kel has still not arrived, or even been seen by anyone, Dom went looking for her. He checked the stables and the practice courts before heading up to her rooms. He knocked softly on her door, and when he received no answer after the third time, he gently tried the door and found it unlocked. "Kel?" He poked his head inside her room and found her curled up on her bed. "Kel?"

A teary-eyed Kel sat up and looked at him, wiping at her eyes. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were blood shot.

Dom sat down next to her and almost toppled off the bed as she threw her arms around him and began to cry again. He tried to calm her for a few minutes before pulling away slightly. "Kel, what's wrong? What happened?" His gaze flicked about the room, finally resting on the letter the messenger had given her earlier. The ink had begun to run down the page, and as he read the letter, he began to understand why. He pushed her away for a minute, looking her in the eye. "Anders… Kel…. How did he…. What happened?"

She weakly waved at the letter, knowing she couldn't trust her voice at the moment.

After quickly finishing reading the letter, he enveloped her in a big hug. "It's not your fault Kel. Even if you had been there, you might not have been able to save him."

She nodded into his shirt, wiping at her eyes. "They shouldn't have had him out there in the first place. I mean, he had that bad leg and…" She blinked a few times before she saw that Dom was getting progressively closer.

He put an arm around her before he kissed her gently, leaving her sitting on her bed. He pulled away and got up, heading to the door. "It wasn't your fault Kel. I'll bring you up some food."

She nodded silently as he left and shut the door behind him, still too shell shocked even to make small noises. Her lips tingled from his kiss. Despite her grief, her body had been flooded with warmth. With a sigh, she lay down on her bed, having decided to figure out Dom later.

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The following morning, the sun had barely risen, but Kel was already out and about. She had taken her large Yamani bow out to the practice courts and was attempting to shoot the targets on the other side of the court. The Yamani bow being bigger and more difficult than her regular one, she was having varying degrees of success.

After almost an hour, Neal came up and sat on the fence, watching her for a few moments before walking over. He watched as she wiped at her eyes and sent another arrow flying into the target. Gently, he took the bow away from her and hugged her as she cried into his shoulder.

Hoping no one had seen her moment of weakness, not that it was likely this early in the morning, she wiped her eyes and took her bow from Neal with a deep breath.

"Are you ok?" He followed her as she went to collect her arrows.

She nodded mutely as she collected her arrows from the target and trudged back to her room, Neal not even a step behind her.

"If you need to talk, you know I'm here, right?"

Again she nodded before opening her door and walking in. "Yes. And thank you. I assume Dom told you?"

He nodded and sat on her bed as she put her bow away. "He's worried about you."

She glanced up at him before flopping down into a chair. "I'll be fine… really. I just need a little time. Raoul said a few squads of Third Company are heading in the Mindelan direction, so I'll probably go with them and stay at home for a few days before going back to New Hope."

He nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. "I know. I talked to Raoul last night after Dom told me. He said you're leaving tomorrow morning, so you might want to start packing. Do you want help?"

She shook her head as she got up and pulled a few bags out from underneath her bed. "No, I'm fine. I just need a little time alone to… think."

He nodded and got up. "You know where to find me if you need me."

She nodded as he left. The click of the door behind him sounded so final to her. She sunk down on her bed for a few moments, fighting back tears, before she began to pack.

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Thanks so much for putting up with all my little weirdnesses. And yes, I just made up that word. Anyway, special thanks to the following reviewers.

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Yes, lots of extra love for you. And I agree about the whole Kel/Neal thing. They may have been an ok couple, but I think they're better as best friends. Anyway, do I get even more love for updating when I said I would?

ameclark01: Yay! Love of it makes me happy!

Kono Mayotteru Hoshi: That's actually really awesome that my story could continue that for you. That's what I wanted to do when I finished reading them myself, but I couldn't find any good ones. They'd end up being like Kel/Zahir or Kel/Neal or (my personal 'favorite' and winner of the 'This Would Never Happen' award) Kel/Joren. I think you might have said that you and Kel have a lot in common when it comes to fittings. Lol I have this REALLY pretty dress that I'm wearing to this formal dance in December and I have to go and get it fitted because it's a 10 and I'm like a 5 or a 7. lol (The only reason I bought it was because I loved it and it was the ONLY ONE!)

So yeah, I will be SO happy if you guys do the oh so wonderful act of REVIEWING! See! You get extra-special love from me! Who wouldn't want that!


	4. Domitan

Woot woot for Tuesday! I actually almost forgot, but then I realized I needed to update. So yay for you guys! Anyway, I've been really busy lately. A friend of my mom just lost her baby, which is even worse considering she was supposed to give birth any day now.  On a happier note, I'm going away this weekend! The only bad thing about that is I'm not getting back until later on Monday and, although I'm pretty sure I'll be able to, there's a possibility I might not be able to update on Tuesday. If I can't, it will be up by Wednesday. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I guess I don't own some of the story line either. Some parts maybe, but deffinatly not others.

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The following day passed quickly for Kel. Before she knew it, she was mounting up and riding out of Fort Steadfast. Along with a few squads from Third Company, Dom's included. Neal was also with her, as was Tobe, who had refused to leave his mistress in order to return to New Hope early. Since Neal had left her the previous night, she had stayed mostly to herself, only talking to people when mandatory. She noticed the worried glances many people gave her, but she ignored them, having too much to think about without worrying about the thoughts of others.

Over the next few days, she successfully avoided Dom. Not only did she have Anders' death to think about, but she also had to work out Dom and what had happened a few nights ago. She wasn't sure if he had kissed her simply to comfort her or if it had meant something more. And until she had figured out her own feelings, she would simply avoid him.

When they were only a day or so from Mindelan, Dom cornered her while she was bringing her bags up to the room she was staying in at the tavern they had stopped at for the night. This was the first inn they had come across since leaving Steadfast.

Having grabbed the last of her saddle bags, he followed her up to her room, not saying a word as they walked.

Kel dumped her bags on the bed, then turned to take the one Dom was carrying. "Thanks…." She froze as she felt him grab her wrist and turned to look at him.

"Kel… we need to talk."

She nodded, and sat down on her bed. "I know. But… not right now."

He nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Kel flopped onto her stomach and screamed into her pillow in frustration. This was too much to deal with at once. She stayed in her room for a few minutes to regain her composure before heading downstairs, where she could already hear the raucous sounds of the soldiers coming up through the floor boards.

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Late that night, after the sounds from the common room were starting to diminish, Kel headed up to her room and began rummaging through her bags to find something to wear for the night. Something shiny caught her eye and she pulled out the tiniest of daggers. Only a few inches long, it was easily concealed. As she stared at it, she realized who had given it to her. Anders. Her fight against the tears was short and she lost miserably.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her. She turned around to lean on the man behind her, knowing who it was long before she looked up into his bright blue eyes. Dom. Forgetting what had happened between the two of them only a few days ago, she rested her head on his shoulder as she allowed him to hold her while she cried herself out. After a few minutes she wiped her eyes and sat back on her heels. "Thanks…"

He nodded and handed her the dropped dagger. "No one said you have to go through this alone you know."

"I know… I'm just…. kind of…. lost."

"I know the feeling. When one of my men dies, I feel that way for a while. But it gets better. I promise. And you can always talk to me… and Neal, even if he is the Meathead."

A watery chuckle escaped her before she put the dagger back in her bag. "Thanks… again."

"'Welcome." He stood to get up and leave, but her hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "Was there something you wanted?" A slight smirk appeared on his face, though it didn't mask his concern.

"Yes….. No… I was just wondering if… Well… that thing at the fort a few days ago… did it…." She trailed off, her gaze shifting from his face to the floor, where she studied her shoes. She twisted her tunic in her hands for a moment. "…. mean anything?"

His eyebrows shot up and a smile slowly spread across his face. Closing the gap between them, he put a hand under her chin and made her look at him. He smiled before kissing her gently.

She was taken aback for a moment, dimly aware of his hand supporting the back of her neck. Heat rushed from his lips through her body. As he pulled away, she stared up at him, not fully taking in what had just happened. Suddenly, realization hit her and she smiled for the first time in days.

"Does that answer your question?"

She nodded and leaned her head on his chest, feeling guilty about her happiness. While she was smiling and laughing, her brother was dead. She sighed and pulled away from him, flopping down on her bed and staring at the wall. "I just…. need some time."

"Of course." He smiled at her before quietly letting himself out.

She got up and locked the door behind him before changing and falling into bed, having a much more restful night's sleep than she'd had in almost a week.

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Sorry that it's kind of short, but yeah. Yay Kel/Dom fluff! Lol I'm rather grumpy though, because I can't find any good Kel/Dom fics to read that I haven't already read. Lol If you guys find any, feel free to tell me. Lol Anyway…

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007- I love your love too! Lol And am I good about updating or what? Lol

Inuyashalover8706- blush Now that I think about it, I think you're right. What did I say? Daine? Lol Sorry about that. slinks away

Rukie- Yay awesomeness!

becky red- Please please please update soon!


	5. Discussion by the Domin

So sorry this is a day late! My editor never got back to me with the edited version so, unless there are MAJOR things she changed, this is what you guys are getting. I went over it myself a little while ago. Anyway, I really hope you like it and wootagee for reviews.

Disclaimer: Well…. Maybe I do own a large amount of parts of the story line…..

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The next day dawned bleak and dreary. Although it had rained during the night, it seemed to have lifted and the soldiers were able to pack and move out two hours after dawn. Despite thick clothes and an oil-cloth cloak and hat to keep the wet out, Kel still shivered as the slogged their way through the mud. High up on Peachblossom's back, Kel was able to look out across the semi-familiar countryside. Once in a while she would look up in time to catch a comrade giving her a worried look. Each time they did, she looked away, pretending as if she hadn't even noticed.

After three hours of riding, the rain, which had held off all morning, finally began to come down, much to the annoyance of the Own. When the great castle of Mindelan appeared through the fog, they all let out a cheer and urged their horses into a trot, sending huge globs of mud at the riders behind them.

Upon entering the castle walls, hostlers rushed to take their horses and the men stumbled off towards the barracks for much needed dry clothes. Kel, however, made her way through the front doors into a place that seemed less and less like home these days.

As soon as she had taken off her wet clothing, her mother enveloped her in a big hug, followed closely by her father. Both seemed worn out and had new lines and wrinkles on their faces. After they both stepped away, they looked at her. Her mother had tear stains on her face, but she was still smiling down at Kel.

"Kel?" Raoul had come up behind Kel and put a hand on her shoulder. "And you must be Baron Piers and Lady Ilaine." He bowed to both in turn before returning his attention to Kel. "Will I be staying with the men or in here?"

Kel turned from her parents and put her hands on her hips. "Which would you prefer Master Tent-Boy?" She was rewarded by his smile.

Lady Ilaine stepped forward as Raoul prepared to leave. "My Lord, are you sure you don't want to stay here with us? We have plenty of room."

"No thank you, my lady, I prefer staying out with the men." With a quick nod to both Kel and her mother, he left.

Before Ilaine even had a chance to open her mouth, Kel held up a hand. "Please Mama, can I just go to bed?" Her mother nodded before she slowly made her way upstairs.

Finally alone, Kel collapsed onto her bed, too tired even to remove her boots before she fell asleep.

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Her mother let her sleep through dinner and when Kel finally woke it was the next morning. Obviously Ilaine had come in and removed Kel's boots, because they lay beside her bed. After dressing and cleaning her teeth, she headed downstairs to the dining hall, where everyone from her parents and Loud Raoul down to the lowliest soldiers and servants were eating breakfast. Mutely getting her food, she went to sit down with the Own. Putting her plate down between Dom and Wolset, she silently ate her food, ignoring the concerned looks the men were shooting her way. Finally, she gave up and returned her plate before heading outside.

She slowly made her way towards the Domin River, thinking. Years before she had tried to take on a spidren with only rocks. It had been Anders who had come to her defense. Sitting down on a log beside the river, she stared into the swirling water until the crunch of twigs made her look up.

"How long have you been out here?" Dom plunked himself down on the log beside her, following her gaze towards the river. He felt her shrug and returned his attention to her. "Kel…" He stopped. There really wasn't anything for him to say.

She looked up at him and sighed. "I know I've been kind of out of it lately. I've just been thinking a lot. My lord said we'll be staying here for a few days. By then I'm sure I'll be fine. It's just… he was my brother, even if I didn't know him very well." She sighed as she felt his arm snake around her and leaned into him as he hugged her. Nothing had ever felt more right to her and she was sure he felt the same.

After another few minutes, he looked down at her. "You know, we still need to talk. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

Putting her head in her hands, she sighed as she slapped a bug away from her neck. "I know it's going to be… complicated, but I'm not sure that can be avoided. I've never backed down from something just because it's going to be difficult and I don't plan to make this the first time I do."

He put his fingers under her chin and made her look at him. "You're sure?"

She nodded before slowly and timidly kissing him, nervousness showing in every line of her body. She smiled as she was rewarded with his returning kiss and his strong arm supporting her back. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. She was only vaguely aware of anything other than Dom, his smell, his touch, his lips on her own. As she pulled away, he smiled.

"We should probably get back soon, before you freeze to death."

She nodded and pulled her cloak tighter around herself as they walked back, both considerably happier than when they had set out.

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I heart my reviewers! And since you want me to heart you, you should review. Enough said.

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Sorry about not being so great about updating this time. Totally not my fault though. And I'm so glad that you love that I love your love. Neeheehee.

Inuyashalover8706: You should put your stuff up! I almost lost it the first time I posted something, but, especially when people know it's your first posted thing, they're really nice. And then once you post the first thing, you don't really think about it anymore. I really think you should!

becky red: I think I've read some of your stuff before. Or something like that. Anyway, sorry again about not updating exactly on time. And yes, I HAVE read some of your stuff, and liked it. 


	6. Moving On

So, I've been having a little trouble getting chapters up on time, as you may have noticed. I have PSATs coming up and I'm going away for the weekend and I've been doing so much stuff with all my friends and I have a new job and blah blah blah. I'm a very busy person obviously. Well, anyway, here is the promised chapter. Hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: But you know… the characters and setting and stuff aren't mine, so is it really a large portion?

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Over the next few days, all that knew Kel noticed her obvious change of heart. Gone were the days when she wished to be left alone. She smiled so much more than she had only a day or two before.

Both Kel and Dom had decided, at least for the next little while, they wouldn't discuss their relationship around anyone else, preferring to keep it a secret for a while at least. Not a single person seemed to have guessed and that put Kel's mind at ease.

Four days after arriving at Mindelan, Raoul announced that they would be leaving the following day. All the men rejoiced at this. None had been fond of staying in a castle filled with a grief-stricken family. Almost at once after hearing the news, the men ran back to the barracks to pack.

With a soft chuckle, Kel walked up the stairs to her own rooms to pack. After barely five minutes, a soft knock sounded on the door and her mother came in, a sad smile on her face.

"I heard you were leaving tomorrow morning, so I came to help you pack."

"Thanks Mama."

Kel returned to packing, not sure what to say to her mother. She had taken Anders death much harder than Kel and was still deeply grieving for her dead son. With a sigh, Kel began to fold her tunics, thinking about the past few days. It wasn't until her mother broke the silence that she noticed that her packing was finished.

"So… this Domitan, that sergeant with Lord Raoul, he seems… nice." She glanced over in time to see a faint blush grace Kel's cheeks.

"Yes, he is." She looked down and began shuffling her bags around.

"And you've known him for quite some time correct?" A slight twinkle was in her mother's eyes, something that had been absent for many weeks.

"Yes." Kel pretended not to notice the look in her mother's eyes, hoping that this conversation wasn't going where she thought it was.

"I see…" Her mother finished packing the last of her bags and stretched. "Well dear, I must return to help your father with his papers. You must come see us before you leave in the morning."

"Mama, do you really think I'd leave without saying bye to you and Papa?" Kel smiled as her mother walked out of the room. It seemed someone did know, or at least suspect, about her relationship with Dom. Knowing her mother would never say a word to anyone, she sighed and began to change for dinner.

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The following morning, just an hour after sunrise, the company headed out. After bidding farewell to her parents, Kel swung herself onto Hoshi's back and took her place behind Raoul and between Dom and Lerant. The standard-bearer sneered at her before swiftly raising his flag and urging his horse to follow Raoul's Amberfire. Kel rolled her eyes and followed, Hoshi instantly picking up the steady pace.

The day in the saddle did Kel good, her only complaint being that it was slightly chilly. She was able to simply sit and reflect on the last few days; on her brother's death, her relationship with Dom and where her life was going now. She looked up with a jolt as she realized they had come to stop for the night. As one, the entire company dismounted and began to relieve their mounts of their bags and packs. Kel offered Hoshi's reins to Tobe with a smile before going to set up her tent, cursing as her ice-cold fingers slipped on the mettle rods.

Warm fingers wrapped around her hands as Dom took the polls away from her, a smirk on his face. He quickly put up the tent for her as she sat back and scowled.

"I _can_ do it myself you know. I'm not totally incompetent." She crossed her arms and glared at him as he stepped back to show her the erected tent.

"Trust me, I'm very much aware. But it's rather hard when you fingers resemble flesh-colored icicles." With a teasing grin, he offered a hand to help her up.

As she took it, he pulled her into a kiss, warming not only her hands, but they rest of her body as well as that familiar heat raced through her. She quickly pulled away however, shooting him an exacerbated look. "Dom! What if someone had seen?" Despite her harsh tone, she said this all in a whisper, afraid the others might here.

"Kel, we're standing behind your tent. I highly doubt they'd notice."

"Well, it's not like there isn't plenty of room to stand around in behind the tents." The annoyance melted away as he grinned at her. She shot him a glare. "That's such a cheap shot." She stomped off towards the fire and the rest of the men, leaving a chuckling Dom to follow.

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After a filling meal and much talking, the men slowly filtered away towards their tents and bedrolls. Covering huge yawns, Kel slowly got up and tottered over to her tent, only to be intercept right in front of her tent flap by a strong hand grabbing her arm. She spun, ready to attack if need be, then relaxed when she realized the hand belonged to Dom. With a smile, she entered her tent, Dom close behind her. She rolled her eyes as she unclipped her sword belt before she was spun around and kissed. She responded warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her fingers in his hair. They carried on this way for a few minutes before the sound of foot steps forced them to jump apart.

They stood still for a moment, until the foot steps passed. With a final kiss, Dom silently left the tent, leaving Kel standing in the middle of the tent, fingers pressed firmly against her lips.

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YOU MUST REVIEW OR I WILL CRY!

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: This whole you loving my loving your loving blah blah blah thing is getting really confusing. Lol I hope my later chapters make up for lateness too!

jocat: Wootness! And I read your story and it's good. So you best update, if only because I did!

becky red: Haha, you said ta. My English friend says that.

Inuyashalover8706: Putting up anything will be good. It gets rid of the nervousness. 

Mrs.RonaldWeasley1991: You totally made my day by adding me as one of your favorite stories. Like you have no idea. And a story alert! –gasp- Anyway, I know what you mean about the lack of good Kel/Dom fics. That's part of the reason why I wanted to write this. At least if I couldn't find any good ones to read, I could write one that other people could read. I'm so excited that you think of my story as a really good Kel/Dom fic! Wootage! I heart you now!


	7. Return of the Commander

So, I lost my second kitty in three months. We don't actually know they're _gone_, but we have fishers and coyotes and stuff next door, so you do the math.  And then we lost this totally awesome horse at my farm. She was really old though, and she didn't suffer, so that's ok.

Anyway, I now work on Tuesdays, so I might be a little late in getting my chapters up. At some point soon I may switch to Wednesdays… or Mondays. How about this, you guys tell me what day of the week you want me to update. And it can only be once a week! Lol And the only way you can tell me is if you review of course… hint hint

Disclaimer: I suppose so. And don't you love how I'm arguing with myself via disclaimer?

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The next few days passed without incident. The party turned north once more, in the direction of New Hope. They closer they got to the camp, the happier Kel became. When the looming walls finally came into view late one evening, Kel remained outwardly calm, though she was grinning broadly and had clenched her hands so much that the normally placid Hoshi began to prance.

As the gates swung shut behind her, she threw herself from the saddle with a loud whoop. As her people began to move towards her, she realized something. They looked less and less like refugees every day and more and more like prospering villagers. With a smile, she went to great them, bending down to hug every one of the children that threw themselves at her. As Fanche walked over, she stretched and grinned at the older woman.

"Glad to be home?" Fanche said, hands on hips.

"You have no idea. How have things been while I've been gone?"

"Quite, believe it or not. Not even Idrius Valestone has made trouble. He seems to have figured out where his place is."

Before Kel could respond, Raoul put a hand on her shoulder. "Would you excuse us for a moment Mistress Fanche?" At her nod, he led Kel away from the group.

"Kel, I have orders from Wyldon to return to Steadfast once you're all settled in here. We plan to leave in the morning."

Kel looked at the ground for a minute, getting her emotions under control, before she looked back up at him. "Of course. I figured you'd be going back soon. But you better come say goodbye before you leave, or you'll be in big trouble." With a grin, she headed towards the pack horses, grabbing some of her things and starting towards her rooms.

After a glance at her and seeing the look on her face, Dom grabbed the last of her bags and followed. As he entered her room, he saw her standing with her back to him, her bags on the floor. Gently putting down the packs he was carrying and kicking the door shut with his booted foot, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her gently on the cheek. "What's wrong?"

She turned to face him, burying her face in his chest, memorizing his scent. "You're leaving in the morning." She felt his arms tighten around her as she said this. They both knew that it might be weeks, even months, before they could see each other again. They stood that way for a few more minutes before she pulled back slightly to look into his face. Not knowing what to say, she simply looked into his eyes.

"I wish I could stay here with you", he whispered as pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before gently kissing her, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss.

Kel simply hung in his arms as her own wound around his neck, her fingers running through his thick hair. "I know."

After a few more minutes, loud voices brought them back to their senses.

"They're probably wondering where we are. May I have the honor of escorting you to dinner?", he said as he offered her his arm, bowing with a large grin on his face.

With a roll of her eyes, she took his arm and together they walked down to the mess hall.

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That evening was one of the best Kel could remember in a long time. The men of the Own and the refugees got along well and were joking with each other within moments. Kel, who was sitting with Dom, Raoul, Wolset, and the rest of Dom's squad, soon forgot about everything that had gone on for the last week.

After talking for hours, she finally got up and bade them goodnight. Seeing her leave, Dom realized how late it was and excused himself as well. As he walked away, he didn't see Raoul and Wolset give each other meaningful looks.

Quickly catching up with her, Dom tip-toed up behind Kel. She yelped as he grabbed her around the waist and giggled helplessly as he flung her over his shoulder and walked away with her towards her rooms.

"Dom! Put me down you big oaf! Dom!" She collapsed into a fit of giggles as he put her down, only to be cut off by his lips. She smiled into the kiss as he deepened it.

After a few minutes of kissing, his hands began to wander up beneath her tunic. As soon as he felt her soft skin, he immediately pulled away, looking rather flustered. "Kel… I'm sorry. I should probably go now."

As he turned to go, her hand reached out to stop him. "Please don't."

He turned to look at her in shock, his hand still clutched in hers. "Kel... I… We… now isn't really…", he ran his fingers through his hair as he trailed off lamely.

"I know, I just want you to stay with me tonight. Nothing like that!", she said with a laugh at the look on his face. "I just don't know when I'll be able to see you again."

He sighed, pushing his hair out of his face again. "Alright, I'll be back in a minute", he said. Slipping out of the room, he closed the door softly behind him before she began to change. No sooner had she finished than he returned. After a soft knock on the door, he walked in, holding the clothes he would wear for the night. Before he even had a chance to pull of his tunic, a loud knock sounded on the door. Quickly gathering up his things, he dashed into the privy as Kel opened the door.

"My lord… Do you need something?", Kel asked a very amused Raoul.

"I was simply wondering if you knew where Dom is. Seems to have disappeared", he hid the wolfish grin on his face behind one large hand.

Not skipping a beat, Kel shrugged. "I haven't seen him since dinner. If I see him, I'll let him know you were looking for him."

Raoul, having expected more of a reaction, nodded, the grin fading slightly from his face. "Thanks Kel."

Kel locked the door behind him as he left, covering her hand to stifle her giggles. "You can come out now."

Dom peaked around the privy door with a grin identical to the one Kel's on his face. "I'd say our dear commander might have an inkling as to what's going on." Kel flopped onto her bed only to be joined seconds later by Dom, who did a sort of belly flop on top of her.

"Get off of me you great big id!", she giggled as she rolled out from underneath him.

Flailing aimlessly, Dom managed to blow out her candle in the process. "Now look what you've made me do!" He threw up his arms dramatically and fell back on the bed.

"You're getting to be far too much like our dear Meathead," she said as she blew out the remaining candle.

"You wound me, dear Protector." He laughed at her glare before softly kissing her.

She smiled as she climbed underneath the blankets, shivering because of the slight draft that blew through the shutters. Long arms snaked around her as Dom pulled her closer. She rolled over to look up at him. "Thank you."

She felt, more than saw, his grin and leaned against him as he kissed her.

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So, hope you like it. By the way, the whole, 'you great big id' thing, is from my friend Jenny. She lives in England and says id all the time. (FYI: id is short for idiot.) She's a tad bit of an id herself. (She's also partial to 'window licker'.)Anywhoo….

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: What the hell is shibby? Lol You have once again confused me. And I hope you think this chapter is cute too.

Inuyashalover8706: Well I can't exactly change a character without having said character go through some life changing experience. And besides, writing him like that is FUN! Lol

becky red: Yay English people! Do you say id and window licker as well? Lol I actually called her today, because it's her birthday. She actually said I sounded like an id with my American accent. Lol

Rukie: See, when I make spelling mistakes like that, it's because those are all words as well, so spell check doesn't catch them. And of course, there's that whole part where I'm an id.

Mrs.RonaldWeasley1991: Yay more romanciness! Lol And hopefully I'll be able to work some into the next chapter as well!


	8. Missing Him

I know I know! I almost didn't make it! But give me a break, it's Halloween! Me and my best friend went out together as 'escorts', or as my wonderful mother put it, "wait… you went as hoes?" Gotta love my mommy.

**Oh, and I still need you guys to tell me what day you want. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday aren't the greatest days. And PLEASE tell me which one, don't just say I don't care. That makes me angry. Arg!**

Anyway, I'm not really a fan of this chapter. But it was kind of necessary to go along with… later things. Lol So… oh well. And hopefully you guys like it. So, I hope you guys had fun tonight, regardless of whether you do the whole Halloween thing. Oh and **Happy Halloween!!!**

Disclaimer: I bet you find it hilarious. I mean, come on. Some nutter is arguing with herself somewhere that isn't exactly suitable. And I noticed I have totally negated the reason for having a disclaimer by, after the first time, not once mentioning I own nothing.

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Dawn the next day found Kel on the walls of New Hope, staring into the distance as the group that was the Own became smaller and smaller. Pushing away her feelings of sadness, she quickly jogged down the stairs and into the mess.

Having expected to see at least some despair in their commander, the people of New Hope began to doubt that their Lady truly liked the blue-eyed sergeant that had come with the King's Own.

However, despite the strong face she put on for the refugees, Kel was still upset over Dom's departure. _But just because you miss him isn't any reason to dwell on it and get yourself, or someone else, killed_, she thought to herself. To distract herself, she threw herself back into training the refugees, especially the children. Every morning and every evening they would gather in the open space in the middle of the camp and Kel could be seen moving around them, correcting grips, footing and stance.

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Two weeks after the Own's departure, Kel was still very busy, though it wasn't still because she was creating work for herself. She had grown used to being around Dom, and she had now grown used to being away from him. She still thought about him frequently, but she wasn't nearly as upset now. She had been involved in a tiny skirmish two days before and her energy was now concentrated on their weapons supplies.

She had been sitting poring over her papers for nearly an hour when a loud alarm bell went off high above the camp. Moving faster than she would have though possible, Tobe came running in, her mail and helm over one arm and her glaive and bow in the other. She flashed him a thankful grin before shrugging into her mail, adjusting her sword belt, grabbing her glaive and bow and running out the door.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she was up on the ramparts in seconds. Tucking her helm under her arm, she put the spyglass given to her by Merric to her eye. After quickly assessing the situation, she handed it back to him and pulled her helm on.

"I'll take a squad out and deal with them. It's only a small raiding party, but I still don't want one of them getting away."

As she turned to run down the stairs, she saw that Peachblossom was already waiting, fully tacked, at the bottom. _What would I do without that boy?_, she thought as she took his reins from Tobe. Swinging herself into the saddle, she signaled to the already assembled squad. With a nod a man on the wall, the wide gates of New Hope were opened and Kel's party trotted calmly down the slope.

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Kel's eyes watered as sun-light streamed across her face. She blinked rapidly as she covered her eyes with her hands. After a few minutes, she sat up and looked around what she realized was New Hope's infirmary. With a groan she flopped back on the bed. What had she managed to do this time? Her groan, however, brought Neal in, carrying a mug of some vile-looking drink.

"You're hopeless, dear Protector. Out of my sight for a few days and already you end up here. Tisk tisk."

She rolled her eyes. "Spare me the dramatics and just tell me what happened. The last thing I remember was some huge blond man falling into his own ax's down-swing."

Neal put the mug on the table next to her cot before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Well, you managed to get yourself a nice concussion, a rather large gash in your leg and some very bloody, banged-up hands." He points to the bandages on her hands and her right thigh.

She groaned as she flopped back onto the bed. Her hands were a little stiff, but other than that, she felt fine. "When do I get to leave? And when can I start training again?"

"You can leave tomorrow. And I'd better not be seeing you training for at _least_ a week." He held up a finger before she could even open her mouth. "If you start complaining, I'll make it longer." And with that her jaw snapped shut.

"Good. Now, I'll be back to check on you soon. You better not have mysteriously disappeared when I get back." With a smirk, he walked out and closed the door softly behind him.

Kel groaned and flopped back onto her pillows. This was going to be a long week…

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By the way, you guys are lucky you're even getting this tonight in the first place. I went out, like I said, and I'm soooo tired. BUT, I am, of course, amazing, so I got this up for you. By the way, it makes me sad that there are little enough people that I can respond to each person individually. HINT HINT

kaypgirl: Yes, Kel/Dom makes me happy as well… obviously.

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Yay! I finally know what shibby is! Lol and my computer is very much protesting the word shibby. Lol And see, I'm cool solely because I don't have to try and I still confuse people.

Mrs.RonaldWeasley1991: Sadly, I'd already had the next chapter. I do admit, that would be rather hilarious. Lol Maybe I can work in something similar later…

Traitors Daughter: Yay international people! I know someone who lives in Ireland. She's not the one that says window licker, but it still makes me laugh. Id is just amazing by itself. Lol

Rukie: HORRAY! Someone loves me! And I'd actually like a real DAY instead of just any day. Lol

becky red: That's sad. Id and window licker are some of the best words EVER!!


	9. Changes

So I originally had this whole thing written where Dom comes back and everyone finds out and blah blah blah. Then I got stuck. And it took me like three days to realize why. It was a combination of they weren't ready (yes, fictional characters can be not ready), and it just wasn't going to work with the rest of my story. So I had to delete like three chapters, thus the lateness. Basically, I just did this all in a little bit. It's now 12:33 in the morning. Isn't it horrible that this is when I write my best stuff? Lol

Anyway, the real reason I started writing this late was because I found out tonight that another one of the horses from the farm I go to died. That makes it three in the last few months. That and a bunch of the people I know's relatives are dying. It's really upsetting. So this is how I dealt with it. Anyway, please tell me what you think and review and all those good things. I heart you guys!

(Oh, and it was SUPPOSED to be up before 12:00, so I could say that I did post on Monday, but it didn't quite work out that way. Sorry.)

Disclaimer: God hates me so much that he wanted me to tell you that I don't own anything.

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Over the next few weeks, Kel became stronger and stronger as she slowly brought herself back into shape. The muscles that had softened after her time in bed now became rock hard once again. Once given the okay by Neal, she had pushed herself even harder than usual.

After a particularly hard session late one afternoon, a messenger accompanied by a single guard arrived at the fort. The man handed her a thick envelope. After shooing the men towards the mess for some food, she opened it, to find a thin letter and what looked like a document, dripping with seals and ribbons. First opening the thinner of the two, her smile grew as she read the letter.

_Dear Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan,_

_Your presence, as well as those of Sir Nealan of Queenscove and Sir Merric of Hollyrose, is requested in Corus by no later than December the 15th. As well as Midwinter Festival, there is also the royal wedding of Prince Roald of Conté to Princess Shinkokami of the Yamani Islands after the new year. _

_In addition, the camp called New Hope has now been given township by His Majesty, King Jonathan IV of Tortall. Enclosed are the documents which make this change legal. Please sign them in the appropriate places and have at least ten villagers sign as well. Bring the papers to Corus by no later than December the 15th so that the new town may be added to the map being drawn this year. Thank you for your help._

_Sincerely,_

_King Jonathan IV of Tortall_

_ Queen Thayet of Tortall_

For long moments, Kel simply stared at the letter, unable to comprehend exactly what it had said. Shaking with excitement, she tore through the documents seals to find the official papers certifying the camp as a town. With a loud whoop of joy, she ran off to the mess for dinner, as well as share this news with the villagers of New Hope.

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Although she had expected a big reaction from the newly made villagers, she had no anticipated the entire town wishing to sign the papers. Finally, she picked out ten, which included Fanche and Saefas, to sign them before signing them herself. A loud cheer went around the room as she finished and sealed them back up for the return to Corus.

Thinking of the journey ahead, she excused herself early to pack. Considering December the 15th was only two weeks away, she wanted to leave as soon as possible, which had lead her to the decision that they would leave at dawn the next morning.

After packing the last of her things, she sighed and thought about how the camp had progressed since Haven was built. With a happy smile on her face, she flopped onto her bed and fell asleep.

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Kel shifted in her saddle the following morning, anxious to get moving. On the other hand, Neal was slumped against his horse's mane, snoring softly. _Only Neal_, Kel thought, _could possibly fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position._ Giving him a harsh poke, she held up a gloved hand and ordered the men to move out.

For a week they traveled. First, the passed through the mountains and rockiness of the far north. As the went farther south however, both the weather and the terrain became more calm and even. By the time they were a day from Corus, the storms of ice had stopped and were replaced by light dustings of snow.

When they finally topped the final rise, the men let out a loud cheer and Kel aloud them to race their horses to the gates of the city, following at an easy trot. By the time she made her way into the stables, the other men were already rushing up to the castle, their packs slung of their shoulders. After grooming Hoshi and grabbing her own packs, she followed at a slower pace, chuckling over the insanity of her friends.

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So, you guys best review! And sorry to all those that wanted Dom to come back right away. But if he did, it would be so anti-climactic! It's like he's gone... no wait, I changed my mind. He's back guys! Lol Oh, and let me know what you think of the new day!

kaypgirl: Yeah… I realize that. I was kind of going through a writer's block moment and yet, for some really stupid reason, decided to write that anyway. Hopefully this was better. 

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Sorry dude, but like three people said Mondays. I was thinking about doing two days a week, being Mondays and Thursdays, but this was when I was way ahead in chapters. Now I'm not… like at all. Lol

Macko: Haha! See? I did!

Inuyashalover8706: He will come back soon, but I'm not exactly sure I get what you're talking about. As she went through what?

Anonymous: You know, if you sign in, you get to feel all special because then everyone knows you're some amazing person that reviewed my oh so awesome fic. lol

Rukie: Yeah… you totally make me happy. Lol And I ended out doing Mondays, so yay you!

theknightofkonaha: Yay! I don't care why you review, but they make me feel so SPECIAL! Yes, I already know, I'm a very special person. Lol

becky red: Well, personally I was thinking of keeping him locked away in the cabinet under the heating vent at school, but I think you've convinced me to let him out. Hopefully he didn't get too crunched in there…

domslove: It makes me so happy that you reviewed! I'm actually reading one of your fics at the moment. Well not right now, but I put an alert on it. So you better update too! Or maybe… I dunno. I'll think of something. You just wait.


	10. Return to Corus

So basically, the great college search has begun. Lol Not what I would call the most fun time. So tell me what you think of the new update day! And to do that, you must REVIEW!

Disclaimer: Why do I even bother putting these again and again? Everyone knows I don't own this stuff.

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After having been told by an elated Yuki that a ball would be held that night for the returning soldiers, Kel groaned in frustration and made her way down to Lalasa's shop. After fighting her way through the massive crowd, she was nearly crushed when her former maid hugged her.

"Kel! It's so good to see you? I heard you were coming back today, so I already have a dress made for you. And I absolutely refuse to take payment for it. Think of it as a late birthday present. It's in the bag hanging behind the counter."

Kel thanked her and, picked up the bag and left, glad not to have to deal with yet another dress fitting. Once she was back in her room, she removed the dress from the bag and gasped. It was made of deep green silk trimmed in fine silver lace. The thick straps lay off the shoulders and small gray pearls were sewn all throughout the bodice. She stared at it for a few moments before finally realizing the time and putting on the dress.

Before she could do anything else, Yuki burst through the door, already fully dressed and made-up. Rolling her eyes at Kel's lack of preparedness, she took out her own cosmetics and began to do Kel's make-up and hair.

"Honestly Kel, you really need to get some of your own things. Maybe I'll get you some for Midwinter." Once she was finished with Kel, she made a hasty farewell.

"I should probably go check on Neal. Make sure he hasn't done anything stupid yet."

Kel chuckled and then walked in front of the mirror. She was amazed at how long her hair had gotten. Because it had grown past her shoulders, Yuki had put it up in an elaborate knot. Knowing if might take hours to get out, Kel made her way down to the ball room.

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When she entered, she was glad to see Neal and Yuki were already there. Making her way over to them, she smiled, nervously smoothing her skirts as she sat down.

"Yuki, must you do this to me every time we have one of these parties?"

"Yes. And if you try to resist, you'll only make it worse for yourself."

Kel snorted and looked around for anyone else she knew. Merric and Faleron were in the far corner. Next to them were Alanna and Raoul, neither looking pleased at being there, though their significant others were trying to distract them from their misery. As her gaze swept past them to the other wall, her breath caught in her throat.

Dom stood by the door, stunning in the midnight blue and silver of the King's Own. Quickly excusing herself to Neal and Yuki, she walked over to Dom, trying to not to make it seem as though she was so keen on seeing him.

"_Why didn't anyone tell me Third Company was coming to Corus?",_ she asked herself as she walked Wolset follow him in.

Before she could fight her way across the room however, Dom walked out onto the balcony. Rolling her eyes over his obliviousness, she followed him outside. He stood in the corner, his back to her. Sneaking up behind him, she covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?", Kel asked.

Dom jumped when she spoke, then whirled around and grinned, stopping himself from kissing her only inches away from her lips.

"Come with me", he breathed as he led her down the thin staircase into the gardens. Once out of sight of the room above, he pulled her close and kissed her, his tongue swiftly sliding into her mouth. When they finally came up for air, he smiled and pushed a stray hair from her face.

"I missed you." He kissed her softly before pulling her into a hug.

Kel smiled as she buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in Dom's unique smell, a mixture of leather, horses, soap and something she could never quite place.

"I missed you too." She took his hand and traced the lines on his palm.

"I was hoping you hadn't forgotten me. Raoul said you were in Port Caynn last I heard from him, and quite a few of the men in the Own have told me how many pretty ladies there are there." She looked up into Dom's bright blue eyes as he lifted her chin.

"How could you think I'd forget you? You're the most amazing woman I've ever met. Why would I want to give that up?" He kissed her forehead as she leaned against him.

"We should probably go back inside before anyone starts to get too suspicious", Dom said. He kissed her softly once more before leading her up the stair case and back into the ballroom.

Looking around as she entered, she saw Yuki raise her eyebrows at the pair before returning to her conversation with Shinko. Neal and Roald were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice anyone entering the room.

"My lady, my I please have this dance?", Dom asked with a gallant bow. Kel rolled her eyes and she took his hand and was led out onto the dance floor. If anyone noticed that the pair was dancing closer than friends normally did, no one made any mention of it. And even if they had, Kel and Dom were too busy with each other to notice.

When the song ended, Kel was brought back to reality by a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around, her eyebrows shot up as she was confronted by a large grinning man.

"Cleon! What are you doing here?" Kel had to hide a smile as she felt Dom tense behind her. The last time the two had met, Cleon had been her lover and Dom had been the flirtatious friend. Now it seemed they had switched roles.

"Hey Kel! It's so good to see you. I got called off the border a few weeks ago. Been here for a few days." He flashed her a grin, then looked up, apparently notice Dom for the first time.

"We've met haven't we?" His voice had suddenly gotten cold and harsh. As he spoke, Dom had taken hold of her hand.

"Cleon of Kennan, this is Domitan of Masbole. Dom, Cleon." She gave Dom's hand a quick squeeze before letting go.

"Sorry Cleon, but I'm getting really tired and was just about to head back to my rooms."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hold you up Kel. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow and catch up or something?" He kissed her hand in farewell before walking off.

"Isn't he supposed to be getting married?" Dom's voice was icy as he glared at Cleon's back.

"Dom, relax. Come on, I'm tired and I'm going to bed." He smiled and raised an eyebrow before following out of the room.

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Once in her rooms, he swamped her with another round of very warm kisses. As he began to pull at the lacing of her bodice, Kel stiffened. Dom pulled back quickly, looking into her eyes, seeing all her worries and insecurities there.

"Dom I…"

"Kel, relax. I'm not going to pressure you." He kissed her forehead before taking her hand and looking her in the eyes. "I love you."

With a smile he turned to leave, but Kel's hand stopped him. Any and all worries she'd had had disappeared when he'd said those three simple words.

"You… you love me?" She stood there for a minute, his hand in hers, staring up into his blue eyes. What she saw there made her realize what he'd said was true.

"Yes, I love you." His face fell slightly when she simply stared up at him, but he kissed her hand all the same.

"I… I love you too." She looked up at him, smiling slightly.

With a wide grin, he pulled her close and kissed her. Kel swooned as she felt his lips, his tongue, on her own. This time it was she who began to pull at the lacings of his shirt. He pulled back abruptly, taking her hands in his.

"Kel… I told you, I'm not going to pressure you. We don't have to if you don't…aren't…"

She put a finger over his lips to hush him.

"I know. I am."

This time as he kissed her, his deft fingers easily detangled the lacings of her dress.

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Not only did I bring Dom back, but you got THAT! Lol

Mrs.RonaldWeasley1991: I will mos def remember that, seeing as you're awesome. Lol

Inuyashalover8706: Look! There he is! Lol

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: What, did you think I'd just leave poor old Dom to rot? Lol Nope, not me. –hugs Dom-

Rukie: Yay obsessions!!!

theknightofkonaha: If it makes you feel any better, I'm a geeky high schooler with no love life and romance and stuff. All I have is a stupid ex-boyfriend who has the brain of a tooth pick. Lol So I sustain myself via my best friend's relationship. Lol And all those other things I do, like riding, writing, school, college crap etc.

Everyone else: You guys make me happy! I now get so many reviews I'm actually not responding to them all! So for anyone I didn't directly respond to, sorry, but I DO love you. lol


	11. Threats

So sorry I didn't get to update until now! The whole Thanksgiving this and what not kinda screwed me up. So then I just had a bunch of stuff to do and what not and NOW I'm starting a new job on Monday. Fun huh? Anyway, please don't be too mad. This is the first time I've ever been uber late!

Disclaimer: So what would happen if I just didn't put a disclaimer in the rest of my chapters? Would I be struck down my lightning? Lol

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Kel jumped up with a start and looked around, having been woken by a loud shriek. She blanched and all the color drained from her face as she saw what had caused the shrill scream.

An ashen Dom, clad only in breeches, was holding the door open for a shaking Neal, who had turned a violent shade of magenta. Neal's jaw had hit the floor and he seemed unable to make any noise at all. After a moment, he began to squeak, though actual speech seemed to be beyond him at the moment. He simply looked from Dom to Kel and back, trying to take in the seemingly impossible scene before him.

"Wha… ehhh… buuuhhh… yeeehhhh…?"

Had Kel been in her normal state of mind, she would have found Neal's lack of words amusing. Now all she could manage to do was look from Neal to Dom, wondering who would speak first. Neal, however, quickly became fluent again as the full impact hit him.

"DOMITAN! What do you think you're DOING?! What have you DONE to her?!" He slammed the door behind him as he turned from magenta to deep red. "I know you've been having your fun with the ladies the last few years, but how DARE you touch Kel!"

"Neal, I…" She was cut off, however, by Neal continuing to rant.

"My BEST FRIEND and you INSIST on taking advantage of her as well?! What were you THINKING?! Did you HONESTLY think you could get away with this?!"

"NEALAN!" At Kel's outburst, Neal's mouth snapped shut and he looked at her, once again at a loss for words.

"Thank you. Now, Dom didn't 'take advantage' of me. This had been going on for some time and, well, we didn't exactly know how to tell you or… how you'd take it."

"You WHAT?!" Neal rounded on Kel, stalking towards her, only to be intercept by Dom's arm.

"May I remind you that Kel isn't exactly… decent?" Neal blushed and sat down heavily in a chair. Dom cast Kel a worried glance before sitting on the bed and taking her hand.

"How long has this been going on?" Neal sighed as he put his head in his hands.

"Just the last two months or so…"

"Oh, well if it's _only_ two months." Neal threw up his hands in exasperation and got up. "Well, I can't say that this is completely unexpected. Though I wish you guys had just told me instead of me finding… never mind. Just… get dressed and come down to breakfast."

As he left, Dom and Kel exchanged a look.

"Well… that went better than I thought", Dom said with a grin as he tossed Kel her clothes. "Granted, you can't expect much from the Meathead."

Before they left, Dom pulled Kel into a kiss, deepening for a moment until noise outside the room brought them back to reality. Once the sound had died away, Kel poked her head out. Seeing no one was coming, she signaled for Dom to follow and they headed down to breakfast.

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Dom grunted as he was roughly pulled into a small niche in the wall and a heavily muscled forearm was pressed against his throat.

"If you do _anything_ to hurt her, I'll kill you myself."

When the pressure on his windpipe lessened, Dom was able to speak.

"Trust me I don't plan on it. Ever."

His cousin's face softened and he looked into Dom's eyes.

"You really love her, don't you?", Neal asked, smirking slightly as Dom massaged his throat.

"Yeah, I do. Now if you don't mind, I actually have work to do." Pushing Neal into a potted plant, Dom strode off, hand in his pockets and whistling.

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So I forgot to say that I broke my spacebar. I was trying to pull it off to get something underneath it, and it only works now if you push it right in the middle. Erg! Anyway…

Luna Dust: Yay goodness!

Mage Spiret: Sorry about the lack of updateage. Hopefully it'll get better.

Rukie: Yeah, well, I screwed up this week didn't I?

meant-to-be: Yay! I nailed it! You like then?

becky red: Yay! Not just pretty good, pretty DAMN good. Lol

Traitors Daughter: GOOD! Because I hate the trashy lame versions of that. I didn't want it to be like…. dirty. It was supposed to be sweet. So hopefully, that's the way it came out.

theknightofkonaha: It's ok. You have no idea how tired I am right now. I just had a quasi staring contest with my belly button. Lol

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Oh em geez! You say cool kid too! Wootage!

iluvchocs: Well of course they're together. They're amazing.lol

D4-eyedDragon:gasp You think I'm an awesome writer?! WOOT!!!

Jennyvre Moss: I hope you like the way I tortured Neal. Lol Let me know what you thought of it.

kaypgirl: Oh my god, isn't he though? That was actually quasi based on my friend. lol He gets like that sometimes about my best friend and it's really cute. Lol And yes, they're

going out. Lol

Inuyashalover8706:Yay for kissing!

rootless californian: I take it you didn't get to put in your whole review yes?

domslove: YAY AMAZING!!!


	12. A Different Kind of Battle

I'm SO SORRY for taking so long to update. I've been really busy and then my stupid computer broke! The video driver spazzed out, so my friend took it to his house for a few days. I would have had it up right after I got it back, it I had to download a bunch of stuff and whatnot, so I didn't get a chance. Anyway, well here it is. I know it's pretty short, but I might update twice this week to make up for the long wait and the shortness. And I have a pretty long chapter coming up so… yay!

(By the way guys, if you haven't already, you should check out the band Breaking Benjamin. Why? Because they're my fav and they're amazing and… just do it damn it!)

gasp No disclaimer. waits for lightning

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As promised, later that day Kel went to meet up with Cleon. Despite his reluctance to, Dom hadn't said a word when she said she was going to visit him, something Kel appreciated.

They had decided to meet at his rooms and then head out for a ride. She had barely knocked on the door before Cleon opened the door, ushering her in. With a snort of amusement, she noticed he still didn't have his boots on. Leaving the door open behind her, she walked in.

"Sorry Kel, I'm running a little late. And I wanted to talk to you anyway."

Kel gave him an odd look, one he pretended he didn't notice, before she sat on the edge of his bed. "Fire away."

"Well, I just thought you'd like to know that… I'm not getting married anymore. The heiress sort of… fell in love with my brother while I was up north. They plan to marry, so my family will still get the money they need."

Kel sat up and looked at him. While she had guessed something had changed, she hadn't imaged something so drastic. "Oh Cleon, I'm sorry."

"I'm not. Look Kel I…" He trailed off before swooping down and kissing her. Kel sat there in shock until a roar from outside made her realize what was going on. Pushing Cleon away, she scrambled across the bed.

"Cleon, _what_ are you _doing_?" She hurriedly got up and smoothed her tunic.

"I… but… I thought that since I could… I'm able to decide who I want to marry, we could…" He looked from her to the floor, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Cleon, I'm sorry but… I can't. I... I should go…" With that she hurried from the room, thoughts whirling through her mind. She should have been smarter than that. She should have been able to figure it out long before then.

She could hear Cleon running after her and ran to Dom's rooms, which were much closer than hers. She knocked hurriedly and then flung herself in, panting as she leaned against the door.

As she looked up at Dom, she blanched as she saw the look on his face. Fury seemed to be rolling off of him in waves. His hands were shaking on the tunic he was holding and every muscle in his body was tight with tension.

"Dom… are you ok?" She took a step towards him and he backed away. He seemed to be getting even angrier, if that was possible.

"No, I'm not ok at all. Hm… That might have something to do with seeing the woman I love kissing another man", he spat, throwing his tunic on the floor and swelling with anger.

Suddenly, Kel understood. That sound she'd heard as Cleon had kissed her hadn't been an animal, as she'd thought. It had been Dom. He had seen her kissing Cleon and had assumed the worst. He'd probably run off before he could see her shove Cleon away.

"Dom, it wasn't like that at all. _He_ kissed _me_. I didn't want him to. He thought since he wasn't getting married anymore, I'd want to get back together. But I don't. I want to stay with you." She flinched as he glared at her, clearly neither hearing nor believing her words.

"Get out."

"Wh…what?" Tears welled up in her eyes as he pointed towards the door. Numbly she groped for the doorknob behind her.

"I said, get out."

She saw a flicker of sadness in Dom's eyes before she fled, running all the way back to her rooms. Once there, she flung herself on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

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The following morning when Kel woke up, she groaned as she remembered the night before. Getting dressed quickly, she made her way down to the mess, hoping to talk to Dom there. However, the only person there was Neal. He winced when he saw her. Her eyes were blood-shot and puffy. Sitting down next to him, she put her head on the table.

"Dom hasn't come and gone, has he?"

"Actually, Dom and most of Third Company left this morning to deal with some problem on the border. Kel… are you ok?"

As she looked at him, her eyes began to water up again. She wiped them away with the back of her hand before speaking.

"It was horrible Neal. I went to see Cleon and he… he kissed me. And I guess Dom saw it and he was furious. He thought I'd cheated on him. And I didn't Neal, I swear I didn't. And then I wake up and he's gone and..."

"Kel", Neal interrupted, "of course I know you didn't want Cleon to kiss you. Dom just gets a little… crazy sometimes. When he gets back, I'm sure everything will be fine. He just needed time to cool off." He gave her a quick hug before handing her a bowl of porridge. "Eat, because I don't want to have to deal with you if you pass out from hunger."

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I be evil. Lol Ok, I smell something REALLY good right now. And it's making me hungry. Anyway, REVIEW!!!

To All: I have no idea where the potted plant thing came from, but apparently it was a very popular moment. I was just kind of typing and that came out. I'm glad it made you all giggle. :D

kaypgirl: I know, I think he's so cute when he's protective.

Jennyvre Moss: I thought so. Neal is such a fun character to tease. Lol

domslove: That's because Neal is a huge drama queen. Lol

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Yeah… the potted plant thing kind of just came out and I was like oh my god it's PERFECT! Lol

theknightofkonaha: I'd vote for Kel and Dom, but that's just me.

iluvchocs: Yeah, I cracked up after typing that. It made me giggle. Then my mom walked in and was like what are you laughing about?

Traitors Daughter: ME TOO!!! Which is sad, since I wrote it. Lol

meant-to-be: If it makes you feel any better, there's a pretty long chapter coming up soon.

4-eyedDragon: Of COURSE I'd read it. You really should post it too! Once you do like the first chapter, it doesn't even feel weird anymore. And it's even more awesome when people comment on how much they like it. That helps too. :D

LadiraSerena999: I agree. Thus this came out of me. Lol Well, I'm glad you like it so much. Awesomeness is a good word fyi.

Rukie: Yeah… the spacebar… I've pretty much figured out how to get along with it, but I felt like a retard. I called my friend and was like 'Adam… I broke my spacebar… Come save me.' So I tried using one of his old keyboard and it didn't work, so I'm stuck with it. Lol

Tamora Pierce Luva: I mos def will! I already have the next like three chapters done.


	13. Return to the North

Yay me! I have a new barn! My old trainer had to leave due to medical issues and I now have a new place to ride already! Wootage! So anyway, me, being the incredibly nice person that I am, decided to update today. You know you love me right now. Oh, and I totally feel like being evil so… yeah. Anyway, tell me what you guys think and rant and rave all you want. It makes me giggle.

Oh, and I've decided I'm going to do an advice of the week thing in my story. Don't know why, but I feel I have much to share with all you good people.

Advice of the Week: No matter how pretty they are, 4 inch heels ALWAYS hurt.

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However, it was weeks before they even heard so much as a rumor about what Third Company was doing in the north. Raoul had stayed behind to spend time with Buri, mostly because Buri hadn't wanted her new husband to go charging off just after they'd married, when he could just as easily send Third Company with their true captain.

One day, late in the afternoon, Kel answered her door to find a frazzled looking Raoul at the door. He walked in without so much as a hello and began pacing the room.

"Kel, I don't know what to do. Dom is… missing. We can't find him. We've searched high and low, all throughout the area and we still can't find him. I don't know what to do!"

Despite their fight, Kel still loved Dom and this news was like a sword to the chest. Finally she stood up and looked at Raoul.

"I'm going up there. And don't even try to talk me out of Raoul, there's nothing you can say that will stop me." She hurriedly began to pack, not really paying attention to what she was doing.

"Kel…do you… love him?"

Kel turned to look at him, stopping what she was doing. She thought about lying for a minute, but now it seemed pointless. He'd already guessed anyway. There was no reason not to tell him. She trusted this man with her life, why not with this secret?

"Yes, I do. And… well I _hope_ he still loves me. We… we had a big fight right before he left. But that's not important. I _need_ to find him."Kel felt a hand on her shoulder and prepared herself. She knew Raoul would have to say at least something to discourage her.

"Goddess bless, Kel." She looked up, incredulous, having fully expected to be shot down.

"In fact, I'd like you to take the rest of Third Company up there. We'll find him, don't worry." With a weak smile, he wandered out of the room, leaving Kel to prepare for the hard ride north.

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The following morning at dawn, Kel and the remaining four squads of Third Company, along with Neal, who had refused to stay behind, set out for the north. The air was thick with tension. Every man in Third Company knew Dom, and he was highly respected. No one was pleased by his disappearance.

Kel, however, was taking it the hardest. She sat in her saddle, barely making a sound, save for shouting out orders. The minutes trickled by as she waited for the last of the men to assemble. Kel couldn't help but think they were wasting time.

After what seemed like an age, Kel gave a final nod to Raoul. She raised a gloved hand and brought it down swiftly. A great pounded of hooves and clinking of tack began as the group set out, Kel and Peachblossom at their head.

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SO sorry for the shortness, but the next chapter is pretty long. At least I think it's the next chapter. Anyway, you people must review, or I'll cry!

iluvchocs: Just wanted to say if the chocs in your user name stands for chocolate, I love it too.

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Yeah, I think the whole potted plant this was, if I do say so myself, brilliant. I'm really glad you like that so much. The sad part is I was the one writing it and it still made me laugh. I'm sick, I need help.

Tamora Pierce Luva: The most common response is YOU'RE EVIL, but if you like cliffies, more power to you.

rootless californian: Yeah, sorry this isn't the best of updates, but the next one (I hope) is really good.

domslove: See, I thought he was cute in the books, but I think the way she ended it was kind of… random and abrupt. So, I figured he'd still feel something even if she didn't. So yeah…that's what happens when I start thinking.

Traitors Daughter: Wait… what's brilliant? Because I'm sure not. Lol

kaypgirl: Haha! I enjoy watching you squirm. Lol

A Symphony of Sound: I can because it's FUN. See, I know what happens and YOU GUYS DON'T! You should try it sometime. It's quite fun.

becky red: Yeah, that wasn't even induced by Nyquil. The last chapter I wrote was me on Nyquil. Should be interesting. lol

theknightofkonaha: Well, I updated, but it's not really helpful…at all. It mostly just makes it worse.

Rukie: I'm asking for a new keyboard for Christmas. This time I'm asking for one of those cool things that go over them so you can't drop stuff in. I'm so special I need that. Lol

4-eyedDragon: Yeah, I will mos def read it if you post it. And you should. So once you do, just leave the link in a review or something and I'll take a look at it. What genre is it going to be in anyway? TP? Or something else?

ForeverinTwilight: You realize saying things like that only want to make me torture you right? And I agree about Cleon being good in the books. I just think their relationship stopped kinda suddenly. Whatever. Anyway, glad you like it.


	14. Following the Birdies

So I was totally going to post last night, because it was my birthday and I was like dude, I should put up a new chapter. Then my best friend came over and I totally forgot. Lol So you guys get it today instead. I hope you guys like this chapter and all those good things. Oh, and if you're Jewish, happy Hanukkah, because last night was the first night of Hanukkah. But yeah, happy holidays in general. 

OH EM GEEZ! I totally JUST remember that I just got tickets to a TOTALLY AMAZING concert! I'm going to see BREAKING BENJAMIN and THREE DAYS GRACE in March… and Nickelback is going to be there too, but dude… It's going to kick ASS!!! Yeah… You can tell I'm a wee bit excited. So yeah… PUMPED!!!

In case no one got it, the title of the chapter is referring to when Raoul said in First Test something about following little birdies on the spidren hunt. Lol So this is what my brilliant mind came up with. Lol

Advice of the Day: Don't wait to do nearly all your Christmas shopping until like the week before.

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A dull pain at the base of his skull woke Dom. Soft pink light filtered through the window high above, making it either dawn or duck. As he tried to sit up, white-hot pain shot through his head and he lay back down. Feeling the back of his head with a grimy hand, he grimaced as he felt the tackiness of blood. Sure enough, when he pulled his band away, it was smeared with red.

Pulling himself up more slowly this time, he propped himself against the wall. _What have I gotten myself into this time?_, he asked himself as he quickly checked his body for injuries. The gash in his head was obviously the worst. That must have been from the rock he had felt hit him. There were thin strips of raw skin around his wrists, most likely from being bound, but they were only a slight annoyance. Other than that, his only other problems were a smattering a bruises all over his body.

A door creaking open to his right announced the arrival of two armed soldiers flanking a slightly smaller, though more stern-looking, noble man. His short-cropped hair was so light blond as to be almost white. Ice-blue eyes were set under thin, pale brows. A thin, hawk-like nose gave the man a predatory look, which was only enhanced by the slightly crazed look in his eyes. Although a good few inches shorter than the other two, he seemed to tower over them, clearly higher on the power-chain than they were. Recognizing him from pictures, Dom gave a sneer to the man who been the cause of so much turmoil over the last few years.

"Sunk a little low these days, have we? Talking to mere prisoners? I'm shocked", Dom said as he glared up at the stout man before him. A mettle-shod boot connected with his ribs, knocking the wind from him and adding yet another bruise to the already vast collection on his body.

King Maggur smiled down at him. "Brave, are we? Well, you'll be fun to break. Or you could just save yourself the pain now and tell us what we need to know about a certain lady knight."

"Did you know they call you King Maggot back in Tortall? Now I see why." Once again, the booted foot kicked out at him, this time connecting with his jaw. Falling back on the hard floor, he looked up in time to see Maggur shrug slightly.

"It's more fun this way anyway." With a devilish smirk, he swept from the room, his two guards flanking him. As the lock clicked shut behind them, Dom sunk back onto the cold floor with a groan.

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A week later, Kel and her men met up with the remaining six squads of Third Company, as well as Captain Flyndan, at a camp built by the men. The second her things were placed inside her tent and the horses were cared for, Kel began to prowl the edge of the camp, looking across the Vassa into Scanra.

Once dark had settled in, Neal came to sit beside her on the fallen log she had been using as a seat for the last hour. He looked out across the river. He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. He sat there with her for a while before he felt her shiver beside him.

"Come on. We'd better get inside before you freeze to death. It's getting late anyway." He pulled her to her feet and led her towards her tent, not allowing her to look back across the river.

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The following morning, Kel was woken by wild chirping and tweeting. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she realized it was much later than when she normally woke. Throwing on clothes and stumbling out of the tent, she realized the entire camp was staring at the sparrows, who were flying about Kel frantically, cheeping and swirling around.

Confused, she looked around for Nari, the leader of the small flock. The chief female, however, was sitting in a tall pine just outside of camp. With an ear-splitting peep, she flew over to Kel, swirled around her a few times, and then returned to the pine tree. Having seen her sparrows do this a few times before, Kel stretched and headed back to her tent.

"Pack up boys! We're leaving as soon as we're all ready!" Two or so squads, the ones who had never worked with Kel before, looked confused, but hurried to do as they were told once they realized their comrades had not even batted an eyelash at the odd request. Even Flyn didn't seem inclined to argue.

Less than an hour later, the men were ready and waiting. Kel rolled her eyes as Neal heaved himself into the saddle. He had apparently slept through Kel's orders to pack and had finally woken up when most were half-way finished packing. He nodded to Kel as he panted. Lifting a gloved hand into the air, Kel set off after her sparrows.

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The sun had begun to set when they finally came upon a fortress. Signaling to fall back into the cover of the forest, she took out her spyglass and held it to her eye. The sparrows were circling near a shed. Although the shed might seem normal to a commoner, Kel knew better. The windows of the shed had bars across them and the shed was heavily locked. There was even a soldier sitting outside the door, sword loose in its sheath.

With a sigh, Kel turned back and following her men into the woods. There was no doubt in her mind that Dom was in that tiny shed. The sparrows had never once led her wrong and they certainly weren't about to start now.

Dismounting, she looked around at the bleak faces around her. They all knew that if Dom was inside that fortress, he would not be easy to rescue. Worse was the fact that they had crossed the Vassa earlier that day and were now in enemy territory. Standing up, Kel went to talk to the men.

"I'm not sure yet how we're going to get Dom out of there, but we will. We'll stay here tonight and I'll discuss plans with Neal and Captain Flyndan and maybe we can come up with some sort of plan of attack. I'll let you all know once we've made a decision." She headed towards the tent the men had just erected for her. Stopping to think for a moment, she turned around and scanned the men.

"Wolset! Come on!"

Completely bewildered, Wolset followed her into the tent. He figured Kel's reasoning was that no one, aside from Kel and Neal, wanted to rescue Dom more than Wolset. The two had been good friends since Kel had promoted him in her years as a squire. Dom had saved his life and now he was simply returning the favor.

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Once dark had completely fallen, Kel, Neal, Flyn and Wolset emerged from Kel's tent. All heads turned towards them, where they had gathered around the fire. As Kel opened her mouth to speak, on of the man held up a hand.

"Don't worry Lady Kel. The wood is dry and we're downwind. They can't see or smell us", Aiden said with a smile. He and his squad had worked with Kel before and knew how careful she was.

"Well boys, the sparrows have told me that Dom is in a small shed inside the fortress. From what they've told us, it's not _too_ heavily guarded. I want to attack at dawn. Keir's squad will be posted in the trees surrounding fortress. Take out as many men on watch as possible. The remaining squads will be outside the main gate. You'll be under the command of Captain Flyndan and Sir Nealan." She held up a hand as one of the men in Dom's squad opened his mouth to protest. "Dom's squad will come with me. We'll be going inside the fortress through a rusted drain the sparrows found, open the gates for the rest of the men, and then free Dom. Is everyone clear?" The entire group nodded. "Then let's get some sleep." With that she stood up and walked into her tent.

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Mrs. Dom Masbolle: Oh em geez! Me too! But you probably guessed that considering I'm writing one.

Inuyashalover8706: You clearly don't understand that killing Dom would half kill me. Mind you, I said half kill me so maybe…

Rukie: Dude, I have mad keyboard skills. You KNOW you're jealous.

becky red: See? I told you this one would be mucho longer.

Traitors Daughter: Oh, I'm well aware, but before they go numb, it feels like your feet will never be the same… and they usually aren't. lol

theknightofkonaha: Tell me about it. I went to a formal dance at my school last week and I had these GORGEOUS heels, but they hurt SO bad! So I took them off for a few hours. Lol

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: lol I am mos def sick, just maybe not for that. Hopefully you're still out of shorts… I MEANT SORTS!!! I typed that and then I was like wait…

Tamora Pierce Luva: But where's the fun in that?

4-eyedDragon: I found it and I read it and I put it on story alert and I'm almost positive I submitted a review. Anyway, I really like it, so you best keep up with it!

iluvchocs: I've decided the only think chocolate can't cure is obesity.


	15. The Rescue

So basically, I don't like this chapter. Like the writing. Don't like it. But I couldn't think of how to make It better. Lol Anyway, so hopefully you guys like it. So I've had about a million things to do lately, so I might be a little slow with getting chapters up, which is why you guys are getting this early. Anyway, so let me know what you think, as always.

Oh, if anyone is looking for some good books to read, the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman is uber good. The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Highly recommend them. So yeah, go have fun and be nerdy and read… like me!

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The following morning dawned bleak and dreary. A fine mist hung over the camp, making the men grumpy. Swearing up at the sky, Kel dressed and began to look through her arsenal of weapons. Obviously she had to bring her sword, knife and glaive. She also chose a battle ax and a war hammer.

Stepping from her tent, Kel saw every man ready to fight. Keir's squad was already walking towards the trees, bows in hand. With a sigh, Kel pulled Neal aside, glancing over at the men as they grabbed a few last minute things.

"Neal, if I don't come back, you're in charge. Don't even bother telling me I'm going to and not to worry about it. I'm just saying if I don't, it's up to you to get them home."

He sighed and nodded, hand signaling to the men under his command to move out. Taking a deep breath, he gave Kel a quick hug before walking off after the men.

Shaking out her shoulders, Kel signaled to her men to follow her.

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An hour later, Kel climbed through the wreck that had been the grate in front of the culvert. One by one, the nine men with her carefully climbed in after her. Feeling as though a barrel of blazebalm had been set afire in her stomach, she realized what this reminded her of. This is far too much like breaking into the castle Blace had made his domain. Shaking off uneasy thoughts, she groped about the tunnel, splashing through the murky water, until she reached a door, where the bottom half was simple a grate. Calling forward the only mage in the group, she had him open the door.

Stepping silently into the dimly lit room beyond, she realized they were underground. Through careful calculations done by the men, she knew that once she was above ground, Dom's cell was only twenty yards to her left.

Holding out a finger to the small bird on her shoulder, she smiled at Nari before sending her up into the light. She was to be the one to tell Keir and his men when to begin firing upon the guards. A few minutes after the fierce sparrow had left, loud cries were heard from outside and Kel turned to the men. "Half of you will go with Wolset to open the gate for Neal and the rest of the company. The remaining half will come with me to rescue Dom." As they all nodded in agreement and prepared, Kel cast them a grim smile. "Let's go to work." With that, she crept up the grimy stairs and out into the sunlight.

Silently, the men filed out behind her, half following Wolset towards the gate, half following her. Both groups dodged behind buildings, barrels and into nooks to hide from those on the wall. One at a time, she told men to stop at strategic points until she and only one other man stood at the door to the shed. Kicking it open with a resounding crack, she rushed in and closed the door behind them. Hand-signaling the man to stay at the door and thwart anyone that came after her, she descended the stairs in the far corner of the room.

As she reached the first landing, her heart twisted in pain as she heard an all-too-familiar voice scream in pain. Half running, half falling, she made her way quickly down the stairs, stopping short at the sight before her.

Dom, bloody and bruised, lay chained to the wall, apparently now unconscious. His tormentor stood over him, a blood-spattered staff in his hand. A sharp jewel was imbedded on the top, clearly being the cause for the lacerations across Dom's body. Oddly enough, the staff looked strangely familiar, as though she had seen it before. As realization dawned, she uttered an involuntary gasp.

The man turned around. The man who was the reason for so many deaths. The man who was responsible for so much destruction. Dropping the staff quickly, Maggur drew his sword, pointing it at Kel. "I should have known someone would attempt to rescue that brat. I never imaged it would be the woman who was the reason for his torture." He smiled cruelly at the look of horror on Kel's face. "Didn't you know? I figured it was obvious."

Kel's heart wrenched as she glanced once more at Dom. Flicking her gaze back to Maggur, she drew her sword, glaring at him. "The King was mistaken not to have taken you seriously before. I will not repeat his mistake."

Muscle bunching beneath her shirt, she lunged at Maggur. Barely catching himself in time, he threw himself backwards, saving himself by inches. With an equally vicious chop, he ran at Kel, bearing down upon her as she swung her sword up in time to stop his downward swing. Shaking the sweat from her eyes, she broke away and spun, swinging at his side. As he jumped to the side to avoid dying upon her sword, she saw her chance. Throwing herself towards him, she buried her sword to the hilt in his chest. His look of shocked horror was his last defiance. As she pulled her sword loose, he fell in a lifeless heap on the floor.

Tossing her sword down beside her, she knelt beside Dom, looking him over quickly. As she gently looked at his many cuts and gashes, his eyes flickered open. Some time in the last few weeks, they had lost their bright sparkle and acquired a dull, glazed look. When he at last recognized the person beside him, he attempted to lift a hand to touch her, but was simply too weak.

"Kel, I'm so sorry. I never meant any of those things I said. I…" He stopped talking as Kel put a finger to his lips.

"I know. Now hush, we need to get you out of here. Do you think you could walk…. or at least hobble, if I supported you." At his nod, she pulled one of his arms across her shoulders. She suppressed a sob as she felt his blood trickling across his arm and down her back. With what she hoped was an encouraging smile, she gently and slowly helped him towards the stairs and up into the sunlight.

As she heaved him up the stairs and out of the shed, she realized that the fighting was already over. Few of the enemy had survived, but those who had were under heavy guard. As a loud cheer went up from her men, her vision went black. Bars and flashes of multi-colored light danced across her eyelids. She barely felt herself hit the ground.

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"But she'll be ok right? No lasting damage or anything?"

"_Yes_ Neal. But if you don't leave me alone I'm going to inflict some lasting damage on _you._"

Kel heard footsteps fading away as she opened her eyes. A bright light overhead blinded her momentarily. Then a large copper-colored thing entered her vision.

"You never learn do you?", said the person as she slowly came into focus.

"I never got the impression you did either Lioness." Kel's voice sounded odd and raspy, probably from lack of use. Once her vision had cleared, she looked up into the brilliant purple eyes of Alanna. "What happened?"

"It seems you got a rather serious slash across your back in your duel with Maggur. Lost of a lot of blood. But you'll be fine in a few days." The much shorter woman disappeared for a moment before returning with another pillow for Kel. "You're to stay in here for a day or two. And don't even think about arguing, it's pointless."

Kel groaned and laid back, only to be sitting straight up once more. The gash along her back gave a painful pull, but she ignored it. "How's Dom? Where is he? Is he going to be ok?" She was cut off by the Lioness once more.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. Obviously it'll take a while for him to heal, but I'm sure he'll make a full recovery soon. And as to where he is, you haven't looked in the other beds have you?" With a smile she left the infirmary.

Moving as quickly as she could, Kel flung herself to the bed next to her. There lay Dom, heavily bruised, but obviously looking better. As she brushed a strand of hair from his face, his eyes flicked open and he gave her a weak smile. The old glimmer was starting to come back into his eyes, something Kel was very glad to see.

"Hey. Are you ok?" At his nod, Kel reached out to take his hand, then pulled back, not sure what to say.

With a slight smile he took her hand. "Kel, I'm so sorry I acted that way. I should have known you'd never do that but I…"

"Got a little crazy?", she said as she smiled and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry, you weren't the only one. How are you feeling though? Better at least?"

"Yeah. Then again, almost anything would feel better than that. But Alanna and Neal both agreed I'd be fine, so you can stop worrying now", he said as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"I think I might have a slight idea. Now get some rest." She kissed his forehead and climbed back into her own bed. "Besides, think of what would happen if one of our precious healers caught me out of bed."

"You don't have to be across the room to be in bed", he said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, at which Kel chucked a pillow at him.

"You're horrible."

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A few days later Kel and Dom were released from the infirmary and sent back to Corus, with strict orders to remain there until they had healed. They were also there for the funeral of Captain Flyndan, the only man of Third Company to loose his life in the battle. Many men had been wounded, but as Flyndan was the only fatality, the entire King's Own showed up at his funeral.

Raoul had taken his death particularly hard. Not only had he and Flyn been co-commanding Third Company for some time together, but this also meant Raoul had to pick a new captain. After the funeral, he locked himself in his room for days, thinking.

Kel, however, had much more to think about than simply Flyn's funeral. Kel had yet to bring up Dom's capture, knowing it was something he'd bring up when he was ready. He had, however, told Kel how sorry he was for getting so angry about Cleon.

Not wanting to push it and bring up painful memories too soon, Kel let it go. Most likely, Dom would tell her what had happened when he was ready. And until then Kel could wait.

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becky red: Dude, it's even early! Lol

tennisblaze4000: Yay! Awesome! Lol That makes me happy!

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Thanks! And I hope there are shorts or pants or something like that in your house. Because that could get kinda… awkward.

domslove: Thanks dude!

Traitors Daughter: Oops! I meant dusk, not duck. Though I must admit, that's pretty funny. Since it's a word, stupid Microsoft word didn't pick up on it and I obviously didn't.

Rukie: I did notice. So why are you jealous? Lol

iluvchocs: Yeah, I know. Sucks doesn't it?

4-eyedDragon: Oh yes, the wonderful joys of high school… not. I'm a junior, so I'm going to have to start the whole college crap soon. EW! Anyway, yeah, when you post it, I will mos def read it.

Tamora Pierce Luva: Well… since you called me pretty… lol

Inuyashalover8706: Dude, I read that back to myself and I was like whoa… Totally didn't expect that to come out that good. Lol I'm glad at least someone noticed. I was exceptionally proud of myself for that one. Lol

theknightofkonaha: The money isn't the problem, it's the whole stupid shopping thing. Lol

Macko: By when? Yeah, I'm stupid and don't get things like that. lol


	16. Coming Out

So sorry it's taken so long guys! Holidays and all those fun things bogged me down with all this random stuff to do and I just haven't had time. But I told you I'd finish this, and here I am! Anyway, really hope you like this chapter. I think it's longer than the usual ones I do.

**Question:** HOW did I miss that TP came out with a new book?!?!?!

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Dom ran, panting down the hallways of the palace. Although he was nearly fully healed, it still took slightly more effort than usual to hurtle down the endless corridors. When at last he reached the door he was looking for he nearly slammed into it before pounding on it viciously with his fist.

"Kel! Kel, open the door! Kel!" He nearly rapped her on the forehead with his knuckles when she opened the door.

Kel suddenly had the odd sensation of flying around the room. Screaming and laughing, she stepped back as Dom put her down. "What was that about?"

"Kel, Raoul's made me the new captain of Third Company! And he's allowing you to travel with me!"

Kel stood staring open-mouthed at Dom. She had always known Dom was a good commander, but she had never expected this. "Dom, that's fantastic!" She threw herself at him before looking up into his eyes. Not even stopping to think, she kissed him. Soon their tongues were twining around each other until a loud cough came from outside the room.

There stood Raoul, arms crossed and eyebrows raised as she watched Kel and Dom spring apart. "Just because I know doesn't mean I want to see _that_." He chuckled as he stepped into the room. "Well…I was just here to tell you Kel that Dom is the new captain of Third Company and that you'll be riding with him for a bit. Also, to tell you that there is a ball tonight to celebrate the end of the war. And, sad though it is, we've all been ordered to attend. See you tonight." Throwing Dom a warning look, he left the room.

"So… uh… That was kind of… awkward", he said as he watched Raoul walk away. "Well, if there's a ball tonight, I'm sure you need to go see Lalasa. She'd never forgive you if you didn't." With a laugh at her disgruntled expression, he kissed her on the cheek and left. Thinking about all that had happened in the last ten minutes, Kel grabbed her key and headed down to the city.

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That night, Kel stood before her mirror, smoothing the navy and silver gown she was wearing and thinking. There were so many things to think about since her return home and she didn't really know where to begin.

Lost in thought, she didn't hear the soft knock on the door. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around her and an all-too-familiar scent engulfed her. She sighed as she leaned back into Dom's embrace.

"You look beautiful."

A shiver ran down her spine as she felt his lips brush her ear. Turning to face him, she kissed him gently. "We'd better head down before Neal starts thinking up wild reasons for us being late", she said as she headed towards the door, only to be stopped by Dom's arm snaking around her waist.

"Maybe we should give him a reason." He pulled her towards him once more and kissed her, only to be pushed back with a reprimanding look from Kel.

"You're incorrigible", she said as she took his hand and led him out of the room.

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Later that night, Kel was standing out on a balcony off the ballroom. She sighed as the cold air whipped at her face. She glanced behind her as she heard footsteps, she glimpsed Cleon walking towards her, though she turned around as quickly as she could. Attempting to ignore him for as long as she could, she finally gave up as he walked over beside her.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable Kel. I just assumed you want to because of…well…" He trailed off lamely and studied the ground far below.

"I know, but I have… other things right now." She looked around across the palace gardens before speaking again. "I'm sorry I don't feel differently."

"Don't be", he said as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

A loud cough broke the silence and Dom stood in the doorway, looking livid. Kel could tell by the slight look he gave her that he wasn't angry with her, but with Cleon. Closing the gap between them in a mere three strides, he took Kel's hand from Cleon's grasp and held it in his own. "I believe she's already told you she isn't interested." He glared at the younger man until he backed away.

"And I believe the lady can speak for herself. Who are you to interfere in her private conversations?"

Dom didn't skip a beat as he responded with an answer that made both Kel and Cleon's jaws drop. "I'm her lover." And with that, Dom took her hand and led her down the stone steps to the garden below, leaving Cleon behind in complete shock.

Once on the ground, Kel rounded on Dom. "Dom! What was that? I know you're protective of me, but… you never told me you wanted to make our relationship common knowledge and… I hope you did that because you wanted to and not because you felt threatened."

The look Dom gave her quickly pushed away her fears that he was regretting what he'd said now. "Why wouldn't I want everyone to know that I love you?" He kissed her sweetly, smiling into her incredulous face.

"You… you love me?" Her voice barely came out as a squeak as she looked up at him.

"Yes, I do. No question about it." He picked her up in his arms and kissed her deeply, smiling slightly as she clung to him.

"I love you too." She kissed him a last time before taking his hand. "Does this mean you're ready to tell well… everyone?" At his nod, she kissed him a last time before allowing him to lead her once more up the stairs and back into the ballroom, where he kept a firm grip on her hand.

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Kel smiled as Dom squeezed her hand reassuringly before walking over to their friends. The second Yuki looked up, she let out a high-pitched squeal and ran at Kel, hugging her tightly.

"Kel! Why didn't you tell me?! When did this happen?!" Kel and Dom smiled as they were both besieged with questions. After what felt like an hour, Dom took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.

Having never liked to dance, Kel was never as good as some. Now she was even more nervous, and tensed as she felt Dom's hand on the small of her back.

"Relax", he whispered into her ear, which sent a shiver down her spine. She rested her head on his shoulder as they danced.

"Are you glad everyone knows now, or would you have liked to have kept it for secret longer?", Kel asked, hoping he wasn't regretting their decision now.

"I told you, why wouldn't I want everyone to know I love you?" He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Well I suppose it does rid you of them", Kel mused, looking over at a cluster of Court ladies, who were all glaring at Kel, obviously upset. Kel had heard them muttering as she'd walked past to get a drink a little while earlier.

"How did she manage to snare him? She's not very attractive or anything."

"Maybe she used some kind of sorcery. I mean, aren't she and the Lioness friends?"

Dom, however, had quickly assured her that she was beautiful and that he'd rather have her than the most elegant lady at Court.

Hours later, they prepared to leave. Gathering her cloak, she followed Dom out into the hall. However, when he took a right instead of the left that would have led to her rooms, she stopped.

"Dom, where are we going? My rooms are that way", she said as she pointed in the opposite direction.

With a smile he put his arm around her waist. "Well, Tobe and I had a little chat a few days ago and he said if we wanted to 'canoodle', we'd better not go to your room, because it gets far too noisy."

Dom laughed at the shocked look on her face, before picking her up and carrying her into his room. He tossed her onto the bed with a smile as he kicked the door shut.

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"Shh! If we wake him up, we're dead!"

As dawn approached, three men crept through the door, while six more waited outside with baited breath. The one who had spoken stopped for a moment in confusion as his gaze landed upon a second lump beneath the blankets. Continuing on silently, he stepped on a squeaky board and cursed.

Suddenly, the woman's eyes flickered open. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the man and woman looked at each other. Then, at almost the same moment, the both let out an ear-splitting yell.

Pulling on a random pair of breeches and shirt off the floor, Kel bolted out of bed and down the hall. Kel ignored Dom's confused call and she flew down the corridor and slammed against a door before throwing it open. Just as the last of the men was about to escape, Kel through herself on him and brought him to the ground, pinning him down as he lay there in a defeated way.

"Well well well, isn't this a nice surprise? We go to play a trick on our dear friend Dom and we find you in there with him. Interesting…" Wolset grunted as Kel punched him in the gut before letting him up.

He rubbed his sore ribs as he stood, grinning at the infuriated Kel. "Personally, I'm crushed that you didn't tell us. If you had, we wouldn't have had to resort to such crude and barbaric means."

"You'll be crushed even more if you don't shut up. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to back to bed."

"Send Dommy my love!", he called, sprinting away as she turned to glare at him. Upon returning to the room, she found Dom sitting up in bed, looking extremely confused.

"What was that all about?" He pulled her onto the bed after she shut the door and slowly pealed off her clothes while kissing her. With a smirk, he noticed that they were, in fact, not her clothes, but his.

"Wolset sent his love. Don't worry, I managed to crush him before I let him run away. How did he get in anyway? I thought you locked the door."

"I did, but has that ever kept them out before?" Pulling her down next to him, he kissed her gently before wrapping his arms around her and drifting off to sleep again.

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When Kel and Dom walked into the Own's mess later that morning, loud whistles and cheering greeted their ears. Dom punched Wolset in the arm as he passed, before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. The other man cringed at the look his new captain was giving him.

"It's a good thing I already made you a sergeant, because I'm not feeling too kindly now", Dom said before beginning to eat his breakfast. Throughout the meal, men walked back and winked at the pair of them. While Kel rolled her eyes at each of them, Dom didn't seem to mind. Finally, on request of one of the men, he put an arm around her and drew her into a deep kiss. The entire hall erupted with cheers as Kel's cheeks flamed red.

_Maybe this isn't so bad, everyone knowing_, Kel thought to herself as she and Dom left the mess together. _It will certainly make this entire thing easier_. With a sigh, she followed Dom out into the bright sunshine.

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That made me GIGGLE! I can TOTALLY see that happening too. So… yeah. I'm not sure it's on par with the whole potted plant thing, but it's mos def up there.

4-eyedDragon: Yeah, so I have finals in like… 12 days and that's totally going to suck. Eeeewwww. And have I missed an update or have you just not since last I looked?

Rukie: Yup, he's rather amazing. And I'm glad you like the whole battle thing, though I'm not a fan of it. Oh well. Glad you like.

domslove: Of course you love them. They're amazing.

Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007: Yeah, that made me laugh as I was writing it. It seemed like a very Dom thing to do.

theknightofkonaha: Damn him! Lol I actually get along really well with my older brother… probably because he doesn't live with me. Lol

Inuyashalover8706: Yeah, mos def not one of my better moments. Oh well.

Berty Botts: Yay! The whole thing is good…. I hope. Lol

Mrs. Dom Masbolle: That wasn't, say, too SUBTLE for you was it?! Lol Well, as far as I can tell, this was rather fluffalicious. And yes, I DID just make up that word. Hope you liked it!

Traitors Daughter: You'd know if it was the end. Lol

Darking Girl: Yes, that's TOTALLY my aim. Lol


	17. Epilogue

So I realized I haven't touched this story in quite a while, but I wanted to write a sequel soon (yes, I'm finally going to) and I realized I really didn't like how I ended it. So basically, other than the first two paragraphs, everything is totally different. Sorry if you don't like it as much, but some how I think you'll find the courage to live on.

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By the following day, the entire palace knew that Captain Domitan of Masbole was courting Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan. As was typical, there were even rumors that the lady knight was pregnant with the captain's child, though when asked about it, both denied it.

Although she still had her own rooms, Kel spent most of her nights in Dom's, as they were closer to the rest of the Own, should they need to leave in the middle of the night. Whenever she was caught walking out of Dom's rooms by one of the men, they always gave her a sly grin or whistled. After a while, she simply learned to ignore them.

As Kel was in Dom's room, doing a pattern dance with her glaive, she heard loud thumping noises coupled with Dom's voice yelling up the stairs.

"Kel! KEL!" He slid into the room, a wide grin on his face. "Raoul's moving me."

Kel stared up at him, shocked that he would be so happy. She hung her glaive up on the wall and sat down hard on the bed. "How… how long are you going to be gone for?" she asked.

"No, no, no", he said as he sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "He's moving me to different rooms. Larger ones." He smiled as her face lit up. He shifted around uncomfortably and took her hand. "And I was hoping that maybe… you'd want to move in with me. There'll be enough space for both of our belongings and since you spend so much time here anyway…" He looked up into her eyes, slightly surprised to be greeted with such happiness.

"Of course I want to. Did you honestly think for a moment I wouldn't say yes?" she asked, chuckling to herself as she noticed the slight blush that had crept over his cheeks. "A good portion of my things are already here anyway. We can more the rest over whenever you want to."

She laughed as he lifted her off the bed and twirled her around the room. "Be careful or you'll break something you big oaf!" His lips met hers, cutting her off from anything else she might have said.

He pulled away after a few minutes to look into her eyes. "If you're sure, there's no time like the present to get started." Rolling her eyes, she took his hand and headed to her rooms.

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So NOW it's done. I really really didn't like the old ending, so you get this one instead. It just seemed too cliché to me. And since I detest anything in that category, I had to change it before I could make a sequel. And yes, I DID say the word sequel. Anyway, so please review this new ending and tell me what you think and all those wonderful things. Thanks loads for putting up with me!


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